canon

canon — noun

1. a Christian priest who works as part of the group of clergy that serve a cathedr

1.nounB2
Definition

a Christian priest who works as part of the group of clergy that serve a cathedral and may have special duties during services.

Example

Canon Thomas led the evening service at St. Paul's Cathedral.

title + name structure: Canon + [name]

The new canon was appointed to oversee the cathedral's music programme.

countable noun with appointed to + role

Common collocations
  • appoint a canon
  • canon of the cathedral
  • chapter of canons
Synonyms
  • clergyman

    broader term for any male Christian priest; canon is a specific type

  • minister

    Protestant church equivalent; canon is typically used in Anglican and Catholic contexts

Usage Note

When used as a title before a name, 'Canon' is capitalized: Canon Wen. Do not confuse with the military rank 'colonel'.

2. a generally accepted standard or guideline that members of a profession, communi

2.nounB2
Definition

a generally accepted standard or guideline that members of a profession, community, or field use to shape their decisions and actions.

Example

The canons of journalism demand that reporters always check their sources.

canon of + [field] for professional standards

Leila's building design follows the classical canons of proportion and balance.

classical canons of + [quality]

Common collocations
  • canons of journalism
  • canons of taste
  • classical canons
  • canon law
  • canons of ethics
  • canons of conduct
Synonyms
  • principle

    broader and more common in everyday language; canon suggests formal or institutional authority

  • standard

    more general term for an expected level of quality; canon has a stronger sense of tradition

  • rule

    more concrete and enforceable; canon often refers to an accepted principle rather than a specific regulation

  • code

    a full system of rules; canon can be part of a code or the whole body of rules

Usage Note

Often used in plural form (canons) even when referring to a body of rules. In legal contexts, 'canon' may refer specifically to church law (canon law).

Common Mistakes

This goes against the cannon of good taste.
This goes against the canons of good taste.
'cannon' (double n) means a large gun; 'canon' (single n) means a rule or principle.

3. the set of books, films, artworks, or other creative works that experts regard a

3.nounB1
Definition

the set of books, films, artworks, or other creative works that experts regard as the genuine creations of a particular person or as the most important and worthy of study.

Example

Shakespeare's established canon includes 37 plays and over 150 poems.

[author]'s canon includes + [works]

The literary canon taught in schools has been debated for decades.

the literary canon / the Western canon

Common collocations
  • the literary canon
  • the Western canon
  • the biblical canon
  • part of the canon
  • enter the canon
  • expand the canon
  • the Shakespeare canon
Synonyms
  • oeuvre

    refers to all works by one artist; canon adds the idea that some works are accepted as genuine or significant, while others may be excluded

  • corpus

    neutral term for a collection of works; canon implies selection and authority

  • classics

    emphasizes lasting quality and value; canon may include works that are important but not necessarily classic

Antonyms
  • apocrypha

    works of doubtful authenticity, excluded from the canon

Usage Note

When referring to the biblical canon, the word is often capitalized (the Canon). In literary and cultural contexts, 'the canon' frequently appears with modifiers such as 'literary canon,' 'Western canon,' or 'film canon.'

Common Mistakes

This novel is part of the cannon of English literature.
This novel is part of the canon of English literature.
'cannon' (military weapon) vs. 'canon' (accepted works) are easily confused.

4. a way of composing or singing where an initial tune is started by one voice or i

4.nounC1
Definition

a way of composing or singing where an initial tune is started by one voice or instrument, then other performers join in one after another with the same tune while earlier parts keep going.

Example

The choir performed a four-part canon by Johann Pachelbel.

[number]-part canon by + [composer]

The children sang a simple canon called 'Frère Jacques' in music class.

Common collocations
  • sing in canon
  • four-part canon
  • strict canon
  • canon by Pachelbel
  • in canon
Synonyms
  • round

    a simple, playful type of canon with exact repetition; canon is the broader, more formal term

Usage Note

A 'round' (such as 'Row, Row, Row Your Boat') is a simple type of canon where each part sings the same melody. In more complex canons, the melody may be transformed (inverted, slowed, or reversed) in later entries.

Word family

  • canonical
    adjectiveC1
  • canonize
    verbC1
  • canonization
    nounC2
  • canonically
    adverb

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/3

All four words refer to a collection of creative or intellectual works, but they differ in scope and emphasis. Canon (sense 3) carries the strongest sense of authority and selection — it is the body of works that experts or tradition have deemed authentic, important, or worthy of study. Oeuvre (from French) strictly means all works produced by one artist, writer, or composer, without any judgment about quality or authenticity. Corpus is a neutral, often academic term for a body of material (e.g., 'the Shakespeare corpus') and may include everything available — letters, drafts, variant editions — not just the finished works. Classics emphasizes enduring value and high quality across time; a work can be a classic without being part of any officially defined canon. For example, a newly discovered poem by Emily Dickinson would enter her corpus and oeuvre immediately, but only become part of the Dickinson canon once scholars accept it as genuinely hers.

canon ↗oeuvrecorpus ↗classics

Common collocations

Nouns

  • canon law
  • canon formation
  • canon revision
  • canon debate

Phrases

  • part of the canon
  • enter the canon
  • the literary canon
  • the Western canon
  • canon of scripture

Prepositions

  • in canon (music)
  • outside the canon
  • within the canon
  • part of the canon

Etymology

Ancient GreekLatinFrenchEnglish

The word 'canon' entered English from Latin 'canon' (rule, measuring line), which itself came from Ancient Greek 'κανών' (kanōn — a straight rod, ruler, or standard). The Greek word may trace back to a Semitic root meaning 'reed' (a natural measuring stick). The sense of 'church official' (sense 1) developed in medieval Latin when a priest living under a religious rule became known as a 'canonicus' (one who lives by the canon). The musical sense (sense 4) arose in the 16th century, drawing on the idea of a 'rule' for how voices should imitate each other — the same melody serving as the measuring standard for all entering parts.