canon

canon [noun]: a rule or fundamental principle.

Example: The priest warned the gathering that a terrible fate awaited those who defied the holy canon.

Related words: canonlike [adjective]

Notes: A cannon is a large artillery gun. A canon is a law or set of  laws established by an authority like the church. Interestingly, a cannon is a piece of ordnance, while a canon is an ordinance!

Synonyms: assize, command, commandment, decree, dictate, doctrine, dogma, formula, law, maxim, order, ordinance, precept, principle, screed, standard, statute, tenet

Tags: GRE

Category: Vocabulary words

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