Meaning & use
canonizing
Last updated
“canonizing” is a form of “canonize”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
verbtransitivereligion
Present participle of 'canonize': officially declaring a dead person to be a saint.
Grammar: Takes an object: 'The Church is canonizing her.'
Patterns
- canonize someone
- be canonized as a saint
The Vatican is canonizing Mother Teresa next month.
He was canonizing the local priest in a ceremony attended by thousands.
verbtransitiveformal
Present participle of 'canonize': treating something as an official or accepted part of a group or list.
Grammar: Often used in academic or literary contexts: 'canonizing a writer'.
Patterns
- canonize something
- canonize someone as something
The professor is canonizing these novels as essential reading.
Critics are canonizing his early work, ignoring his later books.
Word forms
| third person singular | canonizes |
|---|---|
| past tense | canonized |
| past participle | canonized |
| present participle | canonizing |
Common combinations
- canonizing a saint
- The process of canonizing a saint can take many years.
- be canonized as a saint
- She was canonized as a saint in 2016.
- canonizing a writer
- The university is canonizing a writer who was once ignored.
Synonyms and how they differ
- sainting
- Less formal and not used in official Church language.
- blessing
- A blessing is a prayer for God's favor, not an official declaration of sainthood.
Word family
- canonize verb
- To officially make someone a saint.
- canonization noun
- The act or ceremony of making someone a saint.
- canon noun
- An official list, especially of accepted holy books.
Commonly confused: canonizing or canonizing?
canonizing vs canonizing
Sometimes confused with 'canonizing' meaning 'to make a cannon'—but that is a different word, 'cannoning'.
Practice
What does 'canonizing' mean in the sentence 'The Church is canonizing him next week'?
Choose one answer.
In a religious context, 'canonizing' means officially declaring a dead person a saint. The other options are not related to this specific term.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “canonizing”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.