noncanonical
|non-ca-non-i-cal|
🇺🇸
/ˌnɑn.kəˈnæn.ɪ.kəl/
🇬🇧
/ˌnɒn.kəˈnɒn.ɪ.kəl/
not following the standard/official rule
Etymology
'noncanonical' originates from the Latin prefix 'non-' (meaning 'not') combined with 'canonical', which derives from Greek 'kanōn' via Late Latin 'canonicus'; 'kanōn' meant 'rule' or 'measuring rod'.
'canonical' entered English through Medieval Latin 'canonicus' and Old French 'canonique', becoming the English 'canonical' in Middle English; the productive negative prefix 'non-' was later attached in modern English to form 'noncanonical'.
Initially 'canonical' meant 'relating to the canon' (especially church rules or accepted scriptures); over time it broadened to mean 'standard' or 'authoritative', so 'noncanonical' came to mean 'not following the standard/official rule', with extended technical uses.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
formed noun: the state or quality of being noncanonical (transformation of the adjective 'noncanonical').
The noncanonicity of certain texts has been a topic of scholarly debate.
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Adjective 1
not conforming to a canon or established rules; not standard or orthodox.
The editor flagged several noncanonical spellings in the manuscript.
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Adjective 2
not included in an accepted religious canon (e.g., writings or scriptures).
The Gospel of Thomas is often described as noncanonical by many churches.
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Adjective 3
in technical contexts (biology, computing, linguistics), referring to an alternative or irregular form that differs from the usual or textbook form (e.g., noncanonical base pairs).
Noncanonical base pairs can occur in RNA and affect its folding.
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Last updated: 2025/12/10 06:18