canon

• Nom désignant un ensemble de règles, de principes ou de normes faisant autorité, ou un corpus d'œuvres considérées comme authentiques ou de référence dans un domaine donné (littérature, art, religion).

A noun referring to a general law, rule, principle, or standard by which something is judged, or a collection of works considered authoritative or authentic in a particular field (e.g., literature, art, religion).

1. General rule or principleB2formal

   A general law, rule, principle, or criterion by which something is judged.

   canon (règle générale)

   • The canons of good taste dictate simplicity.
   • This action violates the canons of professional ethics.
   • The canons of journalism require accuracy and fairness.

   Synonymesaxiomcriteriondoctrinelawpreceptprincipleregulationrulestandard

2. Collection of accepted worksB2formal

   The body of works, literature, or music considered to be permanently established as being of the highest quality.

   canon (ensemble d'œuvres de référence)

   • Shakespeare's plays are part of the Western literary canon.
   • The film is now considered a classic in the horror canon.
   • The canon of modern art includes many controversial pieces.

3. Religious decreeC1formallegal

   A church decree or law; a list of books officially accepted as part of the Bible.

   Canon religieux

   • The council established a new canon regarding marriage.
   • The biblical canon was finalized in the early centuries of Christianity.
   • The priest cited a canon from church law.

   Synonymesdecreeedictlawordinancepreceptregulationrulestatute

4. Musical formC1formalart

   A type of musical composition in which a melody is imitated by different parts at fixed intervals.

   Canon (forme musicale)

   • Pachelbel's Canon is one of the most famous pieces of classical music.
   • The choir performed a canon by Bach.
   • The composer wrote a complex canon for four voices.

   Synonymescatchround