Canonisation

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The act of formally designating an individual as a saint within a religious framework through official procedures
2. The process whereby a person is recognized and established as a saint by a religious institution's authority
3. The formal procedure through which an individual is officially acknowledged as a saint by a religious body, usually involving specific criteria and rituals

Etymology: Canonisation names the formal process by which the Church declares a deceased person a saint, and its history runs through a Greek word for a measuring rod. In Ancient Greek, "kanōn" meant a straight rod or ruler, and by extension a standard or rule. Latin borrowed it as "canon," and medieval Latin used the verb "canonizare," meaning to enter someone on the list of officially recognised saints, from the idea of placing them on an authoritative register or rule. The notion of a "canon" as a fixed list of accepted writings or holy persons grew directly out of that measuring sense. The verb arrived in English as "canonize" in Middle English, borrowed through Old French, where the form was "canoniser." The noun is simply that verb with the suffix "-ation" attached, a common ending that turns verbs of action into nouns for the process itself. Its suffix came into English through Old French "-acion" from Latin "-ātiō," which is why the ending looks the same in words like "creation" and "formation."

Synonyms: sainthood, sanctification, beatification, recognition, approval

Antonyms: condemnation, disapproval, rejection, denunciation, excommunication