1. The official declaration by the Roman Catholic Church that a deceased person is a saint and worthy of veneration.
Usage: Also spelled 'canonization' in U.S. English.; Religious/formal context.
2. The act of treating something as sacred, authoritative, or universally accepted.
Usage: Figurative or extended use.

Examples

• The canonisation of Mother Teresa took place in 2016.
• The pope announced the canonisation of three new saints last year.
• The canonisation of Shakespeare as the greatest English writer happened gradually over centuries.
• Critics argue that the canonisation of certain texts in the curriculum excludes other important voices.
• The canonisation process in the Catholic Church can take many decades.