canonize means to declare (a deceased person) as a saint, and enter them into the canon of saints. It carries an Arena rating of 1656, earned across 31 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, canonize ranks #599 of 13,218 for Most Malleable Words, #2,563 of 13,218 for Words That Escaped Their Books, #3,133 of 13,218 for Most Elegant Words, #3,444 of 13,218 for Scariest Words.
canonize is pronounced /ˈkænənaɪz/.
Why “canonize” is a great word
CANONIZE — [Verb] To officially declare a deceased person a saint in the Roman Catholic Church, or to regard someone or something with the highest honor and authority. From Late Middle English *canonizen*, from Old French *canonisier* or directly from Medieval/Late Latin *canōnizāre*, from Latin *canōn* ("measuring line, rule, authorized catalogue") + *-izō* (verb-forming suffix). First recorded in English around 1380. Unlike "glorify," which praises generally without official process, or "idolize," which implies uncritical, personal devotion, to canonize is to formalize veneration by institutional rule. It is the legalistic sifting of miracles, the ceremonial weight of a papal decree, and the final inscription in an authorized list—the bureaucratic machinery that attempts to manufacture the eternal from the mortal.
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.
verb
- To declare (a deceased person) as a saint, and enter them into the canon of saints.“Thomas Becket was canonized in 1173.”
- To regard as a saint; to glorify, to exalt to the highest honour.“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, [...]”
- To formally declare (a piece of religious writing) to be part of the biblical canon.“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.”
- To regard (an artistic or written work or its creator) as one of a group that are representative of a particular field.“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.”
- Especially of a church: to give official approval to; to authorize, to sanction.“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: [...]”
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