decanonize

Etymology

From de- + canonize.

decanonize means to remove from the literary canon. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 86 out of 100.

Why “decanonize” is a great word

DECANONIZE — [Verb] To remove a work, author, or doctrine from an established canon of authoritative or sacred texts. From the English prefix de- (expressing removal or reversal) + canonize (from canon, ultimately from Ancient Greek kanōn, meaning 'rule' or 'standard'). Unlike "retcon," which revises narrative details within a fictional continuity, or "censor," which suppresses content for moral or political reasons, to decanonize is the formal excision from an official list. It is the theologian striking a gospel from the codex, the syllabus committee quietly dropping a classic novel, or the archival staff re-shelving a holy text from the central altar to the distant stacks—a deliberate subtraction that leaves the remaining architecture of belief feeling both lighter and more fragile.

verb

To remove from the literary canon.“to decanonize a writer”