Meaning & use

fanon

noun·Everyday

Last updated

Among fan communities, story elements, relationships, or details that are widely accepted by fans as though canonical, despite not appearing in the original work.

See it in a sentence

Many fans believe the two characters are secretly siblings, but that's fanon, not something confirmed in the show.

The fanon nickname for the villain became so popular that the writers eventually used it in the sequel.

A note on using this word

A blend of "fan" and "canon," fanon emerged from online fandom communities in the 1990s and 2000s to distinguish fan-invented details from official storylines.

Words with a similar meaning

fan lore

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Words with an opposite meaning

Another way to use it

2. noun

In the Roman Catholic Church, a striped scarf-like vestment worn by the Pope during solemn Mass.

The fanon is one of the most distinctive and rarely used papal vestments.

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