canonize
verb
can·on·ize
ˈka-nə-ˌnīz 
canonized
ˈka-nə-ˌnīzd
; canonizing
in "Hamlet" usually
kə-ˈnä-ˌnīzd
; canonizing
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
Scott FitzgeraldSynonyms
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
Padre Pio died in 1968 and was canonized in 2002 by Pope John Paul II, going on to become one of the most popular saints in Italy, the U.S. and beyond.
—Luis Andres Henao, USA TODAY, 5 Jan. 2024
From early on, a crew of theorists, Craig Owens, Douglas Crimp, and Laura Mulvey among them, canonized Sherman as a brow-furrowing, super-serious artist, making work about weighty postmodern concerns.
—Chris Wiley, The New Yorker, 20 Feb. 2024
With 4:50 left in the game, the Packers started a methodical 68-yard drive that would forever be canonized in NFL lore.
—Jim Reineking, USA TODAY, 14 Jan. 2024
She was canonized in 2004 by St. Pope John Paul II.
—Christine Rousselle, Fox News, 2 Dec. 2023
Previously obscure works are rediscovered and canonized generations or centuries after they were published.
—Samuel Goldman, WSJ, 20 Oct. 2023
At the same time, enough time had passed for ’90s music to begin getting canonized.
—Vulture, 18 Sep. 2023
What had been a local rivalry between sects—one side of the story—was canonized into an immortal battle between good and evil.
—Rich Cohen, Rolling Stone, 26 Sep. 2023
Jane Birkin, the English singer, actor, and Francophile canonized for her spitfire Sixties style, died on Sunday, July 16 at the age of 76, according to a report from Le Parisien.
—Ellen Burney, Vogue, 16 July 2023
Luis Andres Henao, USA TODAY, 5 Jan. 2024
From early on, a crew of theorists, Craig Owens, Douglas Crimp, and Laura Mulvey among them, canonized Sherman as a brow-furrowing, super-serious artist, making work about weighty postmodern concerns.
—Chris Wiley, The New Yorker, 20 Feb. 2024
With 4:50 left in the game, the Packers started a methodical 68-yard drive that would forever be canonized in NFL lore.
—Jim Reineking, USA TODAY, 14 Jan. 2024
She was canonized in 2004 by St. Pope John Paul II.
—Christine Rousselle, Fox News, 2 Dec. 2023
Previously obscure works are rediscovered and canonized generations or centuries after they were published.
—Samuel Goldman, WSJ, 20 Oct. 2023
At the same time, enough time had passed for ’90s music to begin getting canonized.
—Vulture, 18 Sep. 2023
What had been a local rivalry between sects—one side of the story—was canonized into an immortal battle between good and evil.
—Rich Cohen, Rolling Stone, 26 Sep. 2023
Jane Birkin, the English singer, actor, and Francophile canonized for her spitfire Sixties style, died on Sunday, July 16 at the age of 76, according to a report from Le Parisien.
—Ellen Burney, Vogue, 16 July 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'canonize.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Dictionary Entries Near canonize
Cite this Entry
“Canonize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/canonize. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids 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
noun
ˌkan-ə-nə-ˈzā-shən
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