CANONICAL Synonyms: 75 Similar and Opposite Words

canonical

adjective

Definition of canonical

as in apostolic

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

as in authoritative

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of canonical And has that conversation broadened into a discussion of who gets to translate canonical texts more generally—questions of race, class, and access as well as gender? — Literary Hub, 8 Sep. 2026 The canonical example is Air France flight 447, which fell into the Atlantic in 2009. — IEEE Spectrum, 2 Sep. 2026 The Guerrilla Girls are now canonical within art history, and people often accept their work as though it has always been recognized as important. — Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 2 Sep. 2026 Her drawings hung beside pieces by Henry Darger, Bill Traylor, and James Castle—canonical artists in the genre. — Laura Preston, New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for canonical

Recent Examples of Synonyms for canonical

Adjective

On June 2, 1979, Pope John Paul II set out from Rome on an apostolic journey, as papal trips away from the Vatican are called.

— Paul Elie, New Yorker, 8 May 2026
The leader of the Roman Catholic Church directed his remarks to university students at the Catholic University of Central Africa in Yaoundé, the capital of Cameroon, during an 11-day apostolic journey in Africa.

— Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 21 Apr. 2026

Definition of apostolic

Adjective

Luis Antonio Tagle, 69, a Filipino cardinal, was appointed by Pope Leo XIV as the new dean of the College of Cardinals, elevating his profile as a papal contender in the process.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 10 Oct. 2026
Simply put, the evolution of the rose followed the evolution of papal power itself.

— Joëlle Rollo-Koster, The Conversation, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of papal

Adjective

Rapid detection is particularly important because there is no licensed vaccine or approved specific treatment for this form of Ebola, although possible vaccines and treatments are being tested.

— Nimi Princewill, CNN Money, 10 Oct. 2026
Admittedly, no one in the movie actually wore beige pants, so there's an inaccuracy there, which is odd given this is an officially licensed Alien costume.

— Chris McMullen, Space.com, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of licensed

Adjective

After returning to the United States, Novakovic attended an Episcopal boarding school in San Antonio, Texas.

— byRachel Cole, Encyclopedia Britannica, 20 May 2026
On New Year’s Eve in 1996, Christou followed Deadbeat with a club at a former Episcopal church that was built in 1865.

— Max Scheinblum, Denver Post, 26 Feb. 2026

Definition of episcopal

Adjective

Some boutique firms refer clients to local experts, such as certified public accountants or estate planning attorneys, while national firms may have these experts on staff.

— Kate Dore, CFP®, EA,Kelli Grant, CFP®, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2026
Even when working with certified cotton backed by transaction certificates, tracing the fiber back through the supply chain took hours of painstaking investigation.

— Jasmin Malik Chua, Footwear News, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of certified

Adjective

Becerra’s father later began a construction career that lasted 30 years, while his mother worked as a clerical worker and later purchased rental properties.

— Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026
He is currently being detained at the prison ward designated for clerical inmates, according to official Iranian news reports.

— Farnaz Fassihi, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of clerical

Adjective

In a defining game that many thought would expose problems masked by UCLA’s early-season success, the Bruins — though imperfect — vociferously announced their arrival to the college football world as legitimate playoff contenders.

— Elias Esquivel, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2026
Enríquez argued that lasting economic recovery would be difficult without a legitimate government and that credible elections would help establish confidence among international investors.

— Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of legitimate

Browse Nearby Words

canon

canonical

canonize

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Canonical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/canonical. Accessed 15 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of canonical

adjective

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

outlandish

Popular in Grammar & Usage

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Popular

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

Games & Quizzes