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canonical
01
of, relating to, or prescribed by church law
Examples
The marriage was declared invalid under canonical law.
Priests must follow canonical procedures when granting annulments.
02
included in or accepted as part of the official biblical canon
Examples
The Gospel of John is a canonical text of the New Testament.
Some early writings were excluded from the canonical scriptures.
03
according to the rules that are broadly accepted or are official
Examples
The text is considered canonical in the study of classical literature, adhering to accepted scholarly standards.
His approach to the problem followed a canonical method, reflecting the established procedures.
04
(mathematics, logic, computing) expressed in the simplest or most standard form without loss of generality or meaning
Examples
The equation was rewritten in canonical form for easier computation.
Canonical representation simplifies comparison between data sets.
05
(of an author or literary work) accepted as highly acclaimed authors or pieces of literature, which are collectively referred to as the literary canon
Examples
Jane Austen 's novels are considered part of the canonical literature of English literature, studied and revered by scholars and readers alike.
The professor 's course focused on the canonical works of Western literature, including classics by Homer, Shakespeare, and Dante.
