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 There was a return to the canonical pieces that define our favorites. — Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 23 June 2026 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 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

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
Leo is spending the rest of July at the papal retreat at Castel Gandolfo, the Vatican’s historic summer residence south of Rome that the American pope has turned into his weekly getaway for tennis and swimming.

— Nicole Winfield, Chicago Tribune, 5 July 2026

Definition of papal

Adjective

Pretoria’s requirement that 30% of any licence holder be owned by Black South Africans does not apply to Amazon because Herotel is the licensed operator.

— Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 17 July 2026
Between 2019 and 2022, the number of licensed mudlarks in London more than doubled, to five thousand.

— Sam Knight, New Yorker, 17 July 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

Ecosystem players should function as force multipliers so that speed can translate into certified, scalable output, not just faster prototypes.

— Jean-Louis Rassineux, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026
After returning to Oregon, Phelps and other certified Airmen trained the rest of the weapons team ahead of the Mountain Home mission.

— Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 18 July 2026

Definition of certified

Adjective

The union represents over 250,000 classified public school employees, like bus drivers, custodians, food service workers, para-educators, clerical staff and campus security guards.

— Nollyanne Delacruz, Mercury News, 15 July 2026
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

Definition of clerical

Browse Nearby Words

canon

canonical

canonize

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“Canonical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/canonical. Accessed 21 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of canonical

adjective

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