What does “canon” mean?
- 1
nouna group of works generally accepted as the most important in a field
The novel is now part of the literary canon.
- 2
nounan accepted principle or rule
The design breaks all the canons of good taste.
Canon at a glance
- Part of speech
- noun
- CEFR level
- C2 (proficient)
- Pronunciation
- /ˈkænən/ · KAN-un
How to use “canon” correctly
Don’t confuse it with “cannon” (a large gun), which has two n’s. In fan culture, “canon” means the official story.
Common phrases with “canon”
- the literary canon
- the Western canon
Synonyms, opposites and related words
Word family
- canonical
“canon” is on these word lists
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