canonize

verb

can·​on·​ize ˈka-nə-ˌnīz 

canonized ˈka-nə-ˌnīzd 

in "Hamlet" usually

kə-ˈnä-ˌnīzd  ; canonizing

transitive verb

1

: to declare (a deceased person) an officially recognized saint

2

: to make canonical

3

: to sanction by ecclesiastical authority

4

: to attribute authoritative sanction or approval to

5

: to treat as illustrious, preeminent, or sacred

his mother had canonized all his timidities as common sense

—Scott Fitzgerald

canonization

ˌka-nə-nə-ˈzā-shən 

noun

Synonyms

• adore
• adulate
• deify
• dote (on)
• hero-worship
• idolize
• worship

Examples of canonize in a Sentence

She died 100 years ago and was canonized in Rome last year.

a singing star so canonized by his fans that they refuse to believe anything bad about him

Recent Examples on the Web

He’s told not to wear a bald cap and makeup to better resemble the president, so that his likeness can instead be canonized with el-Sisi’s. —Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 19 May 2025

To date, 80 of the 266 popes to serve over nearly 2,000 years have been canonized. —Elisabetta Povoledo, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2025

Let’s canonize consumer brands that should be celebrated for becoming profitable and achieving successful exits. —Sindhya Valloppillil, Forbes.com, 11 Apr. 2025

And if there’s a patron saint of broadcast’s return to glory, let’s canonize Kathy Bates. —Michael Schneider, Variety, 7 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Medieval Latin canonizare, from Late Latin canon catalog of saints, from Latin, standard

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for canonize

• advertise
• aggrandize
• agonize
• alibis
• alkalies
• alkalis
• amortize
• amplifies
• analyse
• analyze
• anywise
• authorize

Kids Definition

canonize

verb

can·​on·​ize ˈkan-ə-ˌnīz 

canonized; canonizing

1

: to declare to be a saint and worthy of public respect

2

: to treat something as if it were sacred

canonization

ˌkan-ə-nə-ˈzā-shən

noun