canonic \ca*non"ic\ (k[.a]*n[o^]n"[i^]k), canonical
\ca*non"ic*al\ (k[.a]*n[o^]n"[i^]*kal), a. [L. canonicus, LL.
   canonicalis, fr. L. canon: cf. F. canonique. See canon.]
   Of or pertaining to a canon; established by, or according to,
   a canon or canons. "The oath of canonical obedience."
   --Hallam.
   [1913 Webster]

   2. Appearing in a Biblical canon; as, a canonical book of the
      Christian New Testament.
      [PJC]

   3. Accepted as authoritative; recognized.
      [PJC]

   4. (Math.) In its standard form, usually also the simplest
      form; -- of an equation or coordinate.
      [PJC]

   5. (Linguistics) Reduced to the simplest and most significant
      form possible without loss of generality; as, a canonical
      syllable pattern. Opposite of nonstandard.

   Syn: standard. [WordNet 1.5]

   6. Pertaining to or resembling a musical canon.
      [PJC]

   Canonical books, or Canonical Scriptures, those books
      which are declared by the canons of the church to be of
      divine inspiration; -- called collectively the canon.
      The Roman Catholic Church holds as canonical several books
      which Protestants reject as apocryphal.

   Canonical epistles, an appellation given to the epistles
      called also general or catholic. See Catholic epistles,
      under Canholic.

   Canonical form (Math.), the simples or most symmetrical
      form to which all functions of the same class can be
      reduced without lose of generality.

   Canonical hours, certain stated times of the day, fixed by
      ecclesiastical laws, and appropriated to the offices of
      prayer and devotion; also, certain portions of the
      Breviary, to be used at stated hours of the day. In
      England, this name is also given to the hours from 8 a. m.
      to 3 p. m. (formerly 8 a. m. to 12 m.) before and after
      which marriage can not be legally performed in any parish
      church.

   Canonical letters, letters of several kinds, formerly given
      by a bishop to traveling clergymen or laymen, to show that
      they were entitled to receive the communion, and to
      distinguish them from heretics.

   Canonical life, the method or rule of living prescribed by
      the ancient clergy who lived in community; a course of
      living prescribed for the clergy, less rigid than the
      monastic, and more restrained that the secular.

   Canonical obedience, submission to the canons of a church,
      especially the submission of the inferior clergy to their
      bishops, and of other religious orders to their superiors.
      

   Canonical punishments, such as the church may inflict, as
      excommunication, degradation, penance, etc.

   Canonical sins (Anc. Church.), those for which capital
      punishment or public penance decreed by the canon was
      inflicted, as idolatry, murder, adultery, heresy.
      [1913 Webster]