1. plural of canonisation; the formal declaration by the Roman Catholic Church that a deceased person is a saint
Usage: chiefly British spelling (American: canonizations); religious/ecclesiastical term
2. plural of canonisation; the action of treating something as canonical or authoritative; formal acceptance or approval
Usage: figurative or general use

Examples

• The canonisations of several medieval figures were celebrated by the Church.
• Pope Francis has overseen numerous canonisations during his papacy.
• The canonisations of Mother Teresa and John Paul II drew worldwide attention.
• The literary canonisations of the 19th century shaped which authors we still study today.
• These canonisations of certain practices as 'best practices' have influenced industry standards.