1. to officially declare someone a saint in the Catholic Church
Usage: religious
2. to treat something as being very important or beyond criticism

Examples

• The Pope canonized Mother Teresa in 2016.
• Joan of Arc was canonized as a saint in 1920.
• The church will canonize the missionary next year.
• Critics argue that we shouldn’t canonize historical figures.
• The author’s work has been canonized in literary circles.
• Some people canonize their childhood memories.
• The university canonized the professor’s research methods.