Definition

1. Noun:
   • A collection of books accepted as holy scripture: A set of religious texts officially recognized as authoritative, especially the books of the Bible accepted by a Christian church.
   • A complete list of saints: An official list of saints recognized by a church, particularly the Roman Catholic Church.
   • A contrapuntal musical composition: A piece of music in which one melody is strictly imitated by one or more other voices or parts after a given duration.
   • A rule or body of rules or principles: A set of fundamental rules, standards, or criteria established as valid in a particular field, art, or philosophy.
   • A member of a cathedral chapter: A priest who is part of the group governing a cathedral.
   • A ravine formed by a river: A deep gorge or canyon, typically in an arid area. (This meaning is now rare and usually spelled canyon).
   • A list of authentic works: The collection of works considered to be genuinely by a particular author or within a specific artistic tradition.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The biblical canon was established by early church councils.
  • Her name was added to the canon of saints after evidence of miracles.
  • Bach's musical canon demonstrates perfect imitation between voices.
  • The novel challenged the established canon of Western literature.
  • The canon offered guidance to the cathedral's daily operations.
  • The canon of polite society required formal introductions.

Advanced Usage

• "Within the canon": Considered part of the accepted, authoritative body of work in a field.
  • Scholars debate whether this newly discovered manuscript falls within the Shakespearean canon.
• "Canon formation": The historical and critical process by which a set of works becomes authoritative.
  • The course examines the canon formation of American poetry.

Variants and Related Words

• Canonical (adj): Conforming to or included in a canon; accepted as authoritative.
  • The canonical gospels are Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
• Canonize (verb): To officially declare someone a saint; to place in a canon of authoritative works.
  • The church voted to canonize the humanitarian nun.
• Canon law (noun phrase): The body of laws and regulations made by ecclesiastical authority.
  • The marriage was annulled under canon law.

Synonyms

• Standard: An accepted level of quality or attainment.
• Principle: A fundamental truth or proposition.
• Corpus: A collection of written texts, especially by a single author.
• Doctrine: A belief or set of beliefs held and taught by a church or group.

Related Phrases

• Canon event (modern informal): An event considered so fundamental to a person's character or story that it is unchangeable. (Derived from modern pop culture usage regarding narrative).
  • Failing his first driving test was a canon event in his teenage years.

Related Idioms

• Lay down the canon: To authoritatively establish rules or principles. (Formal/Literary)
  • The council met to lay down the canon for monastic life.

Noun

1. a collection of books accepted as holy scripture especially the books of the Bible recognized by any Christian church as genuine and inspired
2. a complete list of saints that have been recognized by the Roman Catholic Church
3. a contrapuntal piece of music in which a melody in one part is imitated exactly in other parts
4. a ravine formed by a river in an area with little rainfall
5. a priest who is a member of a cathedral chapter
6. a rule or especially body of rules or principles generally established as valid and fundamental in a field or art or philosophy
   • the neoclassical canon
   • canons of polite society