Canonical

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /kəˈnɒn.ɪ.kəl/

Definitions

1. Being in accordance with authoritative rules or principles, it serves as a definitive model while embodying widely accepted standards within a specific domain
2. Representing established standards or principles, this term indicates conformity to authoritative guidelines while acting as a recognized model in a particular field
3. Adhering to recognized laws or principles that define standard practice ; accepted as officially authoritative or formally approved within a system

Etymology: Canon began as a Greek word for a straight rod or measuring stick, and from that sense of a standard for measuring came the notion of a rule or authoritative list. Medieval Latin then formed "canonicalis" from "canon" with the adjectival suffix "-alis," meaning belonging to or conforming to a rule. Middle English borrowed it as "canonycal," and the word kept its close ties to the church, where canons were the rules of doctrine and the clergy attached to a cathedral were canons. Over time the adjective moved from the ecclesiastical to the general. Something canonical came to mean that it conformed to the accepted rules of its field, and later it could describe a standard example or definitive version of something, such as a canonical text or a canonical recipe. The term is therefore a close relative of words like "canon" in its literary and musical senses, all tracing back to the same measuring rod.

Synonyms: authoritative, standard, recognized

Antonyms: unorthodox, nonstandard