canon

1 of 3

noun (1)

can·​on ˈka-nən 

1

a

: a regulation or dogma decreed by a church council

b

: a provision of canon law

2

[Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin, from Latin, model] : the most solemn and unvarying part of the Mass including the consecration of the bread and wine

3

[Middle English, from Late Latin, from Latin, standard]

a

: an authoritative list of books accepted as Holy Scripture

b

: the authentic works of a writer

the Chaucer canon

c

: a sanctioned or accepted group or body of related works

the canon of great literature

4

a

: an accepted principle or rule

b

: a criterion or standard of judgment

the canons of good taste

c

: a body of principles, rules, standards, or norms

according to newspaper canon … a big story calls for a lot of copy

—A. J. Liebling

5

[Late Greek kanōn, from Greek, model] : a contrapuntal musical composition in which each successively entering voice presents the initial theme usually transformed in a strictly consistent way

canon

2 of 3

noun (2)

1

: a clergyman belonging to the chapter or the staff of a cathedral or collegiate church

2

: canon regular

cañon

3 of 3

noun (3)

ca·​ñon

less common spelling of canyon

1

: a deep narrow valley with steep sides and often with a stream flowing through it

2

: something resembling a canyon

the city's concrete canyons

Did you know?

What is the difference between cannon and canon?

Cannon and canon are occasionally confused by writers, but the two words have independent origins, and do not share a meaning. Cannon is most frequently found used in the sense of "a large gun," and can be traced to the Old Italian word cannone, which means "large tube." Canon, however, comes from the Greek word kanōn, meaning "rule." Although canon has a variety of meanings, it is most often found in the senses of "a rule or law of a church," "an accepted rule," or "a sanctioned or accepted group or body of related works." A loose cannon is "a dangerously uncontrollable person or thing." There are no loose canons.

Synonyms

Noun (1)

• doctrine
• theology

Choose the Right Synonym for canon

law, rule, regulation, precept, statute, ordinance, canon mean a principle governing action or procedure.

law implies imposition by a sovereign authority and the obligation of obedience on the part of all subject to that authority.

obey the law

rule applies to more restricted or specific situations.

the rules of the game

regulation implies prescription by authority in order to control an organization or system.

regulations affecting nuclear power plants

precept commonly suggests something advisory and not obligatory communicated typically through teaching.

the precepts of effective writing

statute implies a law enacted by a legislative body.

a statute requiring the use of seat belts

ordinance applies to an order governing some detail of procedure or conduct enforced by a limited authority such as a municipality.

a city ordinance

canon suggests in nonreligious use a principle or rule of behavior or procedure commonly accepted as a valid guide.

the canons of good taste

Examples of canon in a Sentence

Noun (1)

members of the church must abide by its canons

the canon of plays that are attributed to William Shakespeare

the ABA Model Code of Professional Responsibility is a lawyer's canon

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Now it can be immortalized in the canon of classic songs! —Matthew Strauss, Pitchfork, 27 June 2025

Fans expressed shock over the death, but flash-forward episodes typically aren't considered canon to the series. —Randall Colburn, EW.com, 25 June 2025

As a group, however, [Los Tigres del Norte] have agreed to stick to the established canons of songwriting structure. —Ernesto Lechner, Los Angeles Times, 24 June 2025

The canons dismantled during the Theory incursion of the 1970s and ’80s introduced a more inclusive world of letters, even as the upheaval left English departments fragmented. —Eric Bulson, The Atlantic, 16 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Old English, from Late Latin, from Latin, ruler, rule, model, standard, from Greek kanōn

Noun (2)

Middle English canoun, from Anglo-French *canoun, chanoun, from Late Latin canonicus one living under a rule, from Latin, according to rule, from Greek kanonikos, from kanōn

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun (2)

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing canon

• canon law
• canon lawyer
• canon regular

Rhymes for canon

• fanon
• mannan
• tannin
• olecranon
• trianon

Kids Definition

canon

1 of 3 noun

can·​on ˈkan-ən 

1

: a church law or decree

2

: an official list (as of the books of the Bible)

3

: an accepted standard or rule

canons of good taste

canon

2 of 3 noun

: a member of the clergy who is on the staff of a cathedral

cañon

3 of 3

variant of canyon

Legal Definition

canon

noun

can·​on ˈka-nən 

1

a

: a regulation or doctrine decreed by a church council

b

: a provision of canon law

2

a

: an accepted principle or rule

canons of descent

b

: a body of principles, rules, standards, or norms

Etymology

Noun

Greek kanōn rod, measuring line, rule