canonize

Meanings

Verb

declare (a dead person) to be a saint
- "After he was shown to have performed a miracle, the priest was canonized"
treat as a sacred person
- "He canonizes women"
To declare (a deceased person) as a saint, and enter them into the canon of saints.
To regard as a saint; to glorify, to exalt to the highest honour.
To formally declare (a piece of religious writing) to be part of the biblical canon.
To regard (an artistic or written work or its creator) as one of a group that are representative of a particular field.
Especially of a church: to give official approval to; to authorize, to sanction.

Origin / 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.

Synonyms

canonise, saint

Antonyms

uncanonize

Scrabble Score: 19

canonize is a valid Scrabble (US) TWL word
canonize is a valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
canonize is a valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 22

canonize is a valid Words With Friends word