canonical form
noun
: the simplest form of something
specifically
: the form of a square matrix that has zero elements everywhere except along the principal diagonal
Examples of canonical form in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Photo-illustration: Lauren Joseph; Getty Images The platform is the canonical form of internet business: a two-sided market that facilitates connections between end-users and business customers.
—
Cory Doctorow, WIRED, 17 Jan. 2024
But their music wasn’t reaching many people in its canonical form.
—Julian Lucas, The New Yorker, 3 July 2023
In recent years, mathematicians have identified the canonical forms of other random processes — and have won some of the highest honors in the field as a result.
—Quanta Magazine, 2 July 2019
Yet mathematicians have discovered that these random processes converge to certain canonical forms.
—Quanta Magazine, 2 July 2019
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Cory Doctorow, WIRED, 17 Jan. 2024
But their music wasn’t reaching many people in its canonical form.
—Julian Lucas, The New Yorker, 3 July 2023
In recent years, mathematicians have identified the canonical forms of other random processes — and have won some of the highest honors in the field as a result.
—Quanta Magazine, 2 July 2019
Yet mathematicians have discovered that these random processes converge to certain canonical forms.
—Quanta Magazine, 2 July 2019
Cite this Entry
“Canonical form.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/canonical%20form. Accessed 10 Jul. 2025.
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