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 Hints at the canonical Big Daddies of existential clown float through the air — Beckett would recognize this pair, and so would Jean Genet. — Sara Holdren, Vulture, 14 June 2026 Broca’s area and Wernicke’s area, the canonical speech production and comprehension regions, appear to remain connected and active during sleep. — Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 14 June 2026 To then spit out convincing, canonical answers about every fact ever. — Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 15 May 2026 From 2009 to 2013, the European Space Agency’s Planck satellite mapped those patterns with extraordinary precision, producing what remains a canonical dataset for analyzing the CMB. — Paul M. Sutter, Scientific American, 6 May 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

By separating address grouping, attribution, and operator, the proposal addresses a weakness that has long existed in blockchain analytics; confidence can be mistaken for proof especially given the lack of authoritative auditing standards.

— Sean Stein Smith, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
Your 10th House of Career and Status gets a quiet lift from the Moon, which trines authoritative Saturn in your 2nd House of Finances.

— Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 27 June 2026

Definition of authoritative

Adjective

The last few weeks have shown his governing style and a remarkable run of papal decision-making where Leo has set the agenda, rather than merely fulfill the appointments set by his predecessor.

— Nicole Winfield, Los Angeles Times, 5 July 2026
Some attendees, though, expressed more trepidation about the consecration of new bishops without papal approval.

— Noah LaBelle, NPR, 2 July 2026

Definition of papal

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

All this to say, there is a lot of room for new shows to break into the Outstanding Drama Series category, but not many certified hits both on a commercial and critical level to be a shoo-in.

— Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 6 July 2026
For much of her decades-long career, Madonna has been known as not only a genre-bending talent and headline-grabber, but also a certified hitmaker.

— Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 5 July 2026

Definition of certified

Adjective

In the public notice announcing the ship’s passengers, Joseph Shiers was transformed into Joseph Shires—perhaps a clerical error, perhaps a hint of his tendency toward reinvention.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 July 2026
This swept away Iran’s monarchy and birthed a state that is part theocracy, part republic, with a handful of semi-democratic institutions swaddled by a system that is ultimately clerical.

— Xiaoqian Lin, CNN Money, 6 July 2026

Definition of clerical

Adjective

But if audiences choose to keep building up their personal collections through legitimate means instead of the black market, that will be their choice.

— Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 10 July 2026
Service providers are building flexible compliance programs and integrated solutions, preparing for a market that looks more legitimate but still demands rigorous oversight and proactive infrastructure development amidst persistent uncertainty.

— Peter Su, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026

Definition of legitimate

Browse Nearby Words

canon

canonical

canonize

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Style

“Canonical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/canonical. Accessed 12 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of canonical

adjective

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