verb
canonize
KAN-uh-nyze/ˈkænənaɪz/
To formally recognize someone as a saint.
The church prepares to canonize the revered religious figure.
Etymology
Here canon is the official catalogue of saints. To canonize people is to place them in that recognized catalogue, giving the verb its sense of officially declaring sainthood.
In context
The church would later canonize Dagabert 2 as a saint.
More examples
- The ceremony formally canonizes her as a saint.
- Admirers nearly canonized the writer after his death.
- We should assess the founder honestly rather than canonize him.
Forms
canonize · canonizes · canonized · canonizing
canonization noun — Formal recognition of someone as a saint.
Similar words
- beatify
- Recognizes a person as blessed, a distinct step before canonization.
- idealize
- Treats someone as perfect without formally recognizing sainthood.