What does canon mean?
A canon is an authoritative collection, list, or set of rules that has been formally accepted as genuine, standard, or definitive. Its most familiar uses concern religion and culture: the biblical canon is the officially recognized set of scriptures, while the literary canon refers to the body of works considered essential reading within a tradition, such as Shakespeare's plays in English literature. In church law, canon also names a rule or decree established by religious authority, and in music it describes a composition in which successive voices repeat the same melody in imitation of one another. Additionally, a canon may be a member of a cathedral's clergy who lives under a religious rule. The word carries strong connotations of authority, permanence, and inclusion — to be admitted to the canon is to be judged enduringly important, while debates over what belongs often reflect shifting cultural values.
nounA canon is an authoritative list, rule, or body of works considered genuine or officially accepted, such as the books of the Bible or the recognized masterpieces of literature. It also denotes a member of a cathedral chapter or a type of musical composition in which voices imitate one another.
- An authoritative list or collection of works accepted as genuine or definitive, especially in religion (the biblical canon) or the arts (the literary canon)
- A general rule, principle, or standard, especially one laid down by a church council or authority (a law or decree of church law)
- A member of a clergy community attached to a cathedral or collegiate church who lives according to a rule
- A form of musical composition in which one voice or part exactly imitates another at a fixed time interval
"Jane Austen's novels have become part of the English literary canon."
"Scholars still debate whether certain apocryphal texts belong in the biblical canon."
"Bach's 'Crab Canon' is a musical canon in which the melody plays forward and backward simultaneously."
The plural 'canons' is used both for multiple rules or decrees (e.g., church canons) and for members of a cathedral chapter.
"The church council issued several new canons governing clerical conduct."
Before 'canon' ever meant great books, it meant a measuring reed — the same root that eventually gave the world cannons and canals.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of canon
Canon derives from the ancient Greek 'kanon', meaning a straight rod or measuring reed used as a standard of measurement, which passed into Latin as 'canon' and came to signify a rule or norm. The term entered Old and Middle English through Latin ecclesiastical usage, where it denoted rules of church law and lists of approved scripture. Related words sharing this lineage include cannon, canal, and channel, all ultimately traceable to the same notion of a hollow reed or tube.
Related word forms
How canon is actually used
In everyday academic and cultural discussion, canon most often refers to a body of works regarded as essential or authoritative, where it carries connotations of prestige, tradition, and sometimes exclusion. In religious contexts it denotes official acceptance of scripture. The musical sense and the ecclesiastical-clergy sense are more specialized and largely confined to musicology and church contexts respectively.
Easily confused with canon
A canon is an authoritative rule or list of accepted works, while a cannon is a large mounted gun; the two words look alike but share only a distant common origin.