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Canonize

//ˈkænənaɪz// verb

Definitions

Verb
  1. 1
    To declare (a deceased person) as a saint, and enter them into the canon of saints. British, English, Oxford, US, transitive

    "Thomas Becket was canonized in 1173."

  2. 2
    declare (a dead person) to be a saint wordnet
  3. 3
    To regard as a saint; to glorify, to exalt to the highest honour. British, English, Oxford, US, figuratively, transitive

    "She is a theame of honour and renowne, / A ſpurre to valiant and magnanimous deeds, / Whoſe preſent courage may beate downe our foes, / And fame in time to come canonize us, [...]"

  4. 4
    treat as a sacred person wordnet
  5. 5
    To formally declare (a piece of religious writing) to be part of the biblical canon. British, English, Oxford, US, transitive

    "Yet becauſe there are Two Pretences made; One, that elſewhere he Canonizeth all the reſt of the Conteſted Books; and another, that in this place he detracteth nothing in that behalf from the Books of the Maccabes, we will clear the way before us, and anſwer them both."

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  1. 6
    To regard (an artistic or written work or its creator) as one of a group that are representative of a particular field. British, English, Oxford, US, broadly, transitive

    "To these errors the Middle Ages contributed not a little by canonizing all the ancient authorities so that when modern historical criticism came into vogue the reaction against authority went too far and skepticism overleaped the mark."

  2. 7
    Especially of a church: to give official approval to; to authorize, to sanction. British, English, Oxford, US, transitive

    "He ſhews, the Legate's Drift was to Canonize all the Abuſes of the Court of Rome: ſo they never ſuffer'd them to be treated of freely, but managed them like the Compounding of a Law-Suit: [...]"

Etymology

From Late Middle English canonizen (“to declare as a saint; to appoint to an ecclesiastical office”), from Old French canonisier (modern French canoniser (“to canonize”)), or from its etymon Medieval Latin, Late Latin canōnizāre, the present active infinitive of Latin canōnizō (“to recognize as a saint, canonize; to declare as authoritative or official”), from Latin canōn (“measuring line; (figurative) precept, rule, canon; authorized catalogue”) + -izō (suffix forming verbs). The English word is analysable as canon (“general principle, rule; authoritative group of works; catalogue of saints canonized in the Roman Catholic Church”) + -ize.

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