canonical

Etymology

It is borrowed from Medieval Latin canonicālis,^{[2][3][4][5][6]} from Late Latin canonicus (“according to rule; in Church Latin, belonging to the canon”),^[3][4] from Latin canōn (“measuring line, rule”),^[4] from Ancient Greek κανών (kanṓn, “rod, bar, ruler, rule, model”),^[4] which Klein derives from κάννα (kánna, “reed”), of Semitic origin.^[4] Merriam-Webster takes it as canonic with the suffix -al.^[7] An earlier English adjective with the same meaning was canonial, from the early 13th century.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

According to the law of the Church: before 1475, in a translation of Higden's Polychronicon, in the phrase obedience canonicalle, for Latin obedientia canonica.^[6] Etymonline dates it to the early 15th century,^[3] and the OED to 1483, in Caxton's Golden Legend, of the canonical hours of prayer.^[2]

Semantic evolution

The word began in church law, with the canonical hours, the times of day fixed by the canons for prayer (1483).^[2] In the 16th century it was used of the books accepted into the canon of Scripture (about 1555),^[2][3] and, more generally, of anything with accepted authority or excellence, orthodox or standard (1553).^[2][3] Johnson (1755) gave the senses "according to the canon" and "constituting the canon", quoting Hooker on books "not canonical".^[8] Further senses came from the other meanings of canon: of a cathedral chapter (1597), of a musical canon (1609) and, in mathematics, of a general rule or formula (1738).^[2] Pepys wrote of clergy in canonical dress (1666),^[2] and Smollett used canonicals for a clergyman's robes (1748).^[2]

Timeline

• before 1475 – according to ecclesiastical law.^[6]
• 1483 – canonical hours, the appointed times of prayer.^[2]
• 1553 – authoritative, orthodox, standard.^[2] Etymonline dates this to the 1550s.^[3]
• c. 1555 – belonging to the canon of Scripture.^[2] Etymonline dates this to the 1560s.^[3]
• 1597 – belonging to a cathedral chapter.^[2]
• 1609 – music, in canon form.^[2]
• 1738 – mathematics, according to a general rule or formula.^[2]
• 1748 – noun, canonicals, the robes of the clergy.^[2]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Of, according to or required by canon law.^[7][9][2]
2. Belonging to the canon of Scripture, or to the accepted works of an author: the canonical Gospels.^[7][9][2]
3. Conforming to accepted rules; orthodox, standard or authoritative: the canonical account of the war.^[7][9][2]
4. Of or belonging to a cathedral chapter or one of its members.^[7][9][2]
5. (music) In the form of a canon.^[9][2]
6. (mathematics) Of the standard or simplest form under a general rule.^[2][1]

Noun

1. canonicals (plural): the robes prescribed for the clergy.^[2][1]

Word family

• canonically
• deuterocanonical
• extracanonical
• noncanonical
• postcanonical
• uncanonical
• canonical form
• canonical hour

Related words

• canon
• canonic
• canonicity
• canonize
• cane

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v Oxford English Dictionary Online (accessed March 2026), Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c d e f g h Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
4. ^ a b c d e Klein, Ernest. A Comprehensive Etymological Dictionary of the English Language. 2 vols. Amsterdam: Elsevier, 1966–1967.
5. ^ Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles (2002), 5th ed., ed. William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, Oxford: Oxford University Press
6. ^ a b c Kurath, Hans; Kuhn, Sherman M.; Lewis, Robert E., eds. (1952–2001), Middle English Dictionary, Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press; online edition ed. Frances McSparran et al. (2000–2018)
7. ^ a b c d e Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
8. ^ Johnson, Samuel (1755), A Dictionary of the English Language, London; 4th ed. 1773; Johnson's Dictionary Online, ed. Beth Rapp Young et al.
9. ^ a b c d e The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin