Makes officially recognized as a saint in the Catholic Church, or officially declares something as officially accepted and worthy of respect.
From Late Latin 'canonizare,' combining 'canon' (rule, list) and '-ize' (make). The religious meaning dates to the 13th century when the Church formalized the process of declaring saints; later extended metaphorically to approve anything as standard or authoritative.
The word reveals how religious authority shaped English: 'canonizing' someone meant literally adding them to a 'canon' or official list, which is exactly why we talk about 'canonical literature' or 'canonical works'—they're approved as the official standard, just like saints.
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