canonize
verb
can·on·ize
ˈka-nə-ˌnīz 
canonized
ˈka-nə-ˌnīzd
; canonizing
in "Hamlet" usually
kə-ˈnä-ˌnīzd
; canonizing
1
: to declare (a deceased person) an officially recognized saint
2
: to make canonical
3
: to sanction by ecclesiastical authority
4
: to attribute authoritative sanction or approval to
5
: to treat as illustrious, preeminent, or sacred
his mother had canonized all his timidities as common sense—
Scott Fitzgerald
Scott FitzgeraldSynonyms
Examples of canonize in a Sentence
She died 100 years ago and was canonized in Rome last year.
a singing star so canonized by his fans that they refuse to believe anything bad about him
Recent Examples on the Web
The series also canonized some specific choices that players could make in some prior games.
—Samuel Axon, Ars Technica, 20 Apr. 2024
The biopic of Francesca Cabrini, a nun and staunch advocate for the poor who in 1946 became the first American canonized a saint, is directed by Monteverde.
—Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 10 Apr. 2024
And Russian battalions are being named after Russian saints such as Alexander Nevsky, a thirteenth-century Russian prince who was canonized for his military victories over Swedish and German crusaders.
—Andrei Soldatov, Foreign Affairs, 14 Sep. 2023
The Pope canonized 912 people, but Acutis would be the first individual born after 1926.
—Armani Syed, TIME, 24 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for canonize 
Samuel Axon, Ars Technica, 20 Apr. 2024
The biopic of Francesca Cabrini, a nun and staunch advocate for the poor who in 1946 became the first American canonized a saint, is directed by Monteverde.
—Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 10 Apr. 2024
And Russian battalions are being named after Russian saints such as Alexander Nevsky, a thirteenth-century Russian prince who was canonized for his military victories over Swedish and German crusaders.
—Andrei Soldatov, Foreign Affairs, 14 Sep. 2023
The Pope canonized 912 people, but Acutis would be the first individual born after 1926.
—Armani Syed, TIME, 24 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for canonize
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'canonize.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Canonize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/canonize. Accessed 4 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
canonize
verb
can·on·ize
ˈkan-ə-ˌnīz
canonized; canonizing
1
: to declare to be a saint and worthy of public respect
2
: to treat something as if it were sacred
canonization
noun
ˌkan-ə-nə-ˈzā-shən
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