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canonist

canonist

1 9.9
A person who knows church law and advises church leaders
  • noun
  • /ˈkænənɪst/
  • Formal
translation icon : canonista
  • To explain how "a middling good must not be preferred to a great good," the canonist Gratian invokes Jerome on the moral dangers of excessive fasting.
  • canonists and theologians
  • medieval canonists
  • classical canonists

Examples

  • Canonist John Huels has explicated the purpose of disciplinary norms for the administration of sacraments.

    Academic text (2002)
  • Perhaps another canonist will start a blog that does allow comboxes.

    Blog text (3)
  • It was not the usual language of classic medieval canonists or of the councils of the Middle Ages.

    Academic text (2004)
  • A good canonist (someone like Ed Peters) familiar with the cases would be able to answer definitively.

    Blog text (14)
  • The canonists responded to changed external conditions as they discovered the true meaning of Christ's command.

    Academic text (1993)
  • Her new set of witnesses confirmed their parts in the story, and Fournier—a skilled canonist and theologian, advised by a panel of local religious—was certainly convinced by it.

    Academic text (2006)
  • The ecumenical status of the Trullan Council was commonly recognized by such classical Western canonists of the second millennium as Ivo of Chartres, Pope Innocent III, and Gratian.

    Academic text (2010)
  • The expert canonist provided valuable insights on the church's legal system.

  • As a recognized canonist, she often spoke at international conferences on ecclesiastical law.

  • The bishop consulted a canonist to clarify the rules regarding marriage annulments.

Synonyms

legal expert
vscanonist
21 4.0

A person who knows a lot about law and gives advice

is limited to church legal rules rather than civil or international law
jurist
vscanonist
  • Formal
17 7.1

A person who knows a lot about law, like a judge or law teacher

is focused on church legal rules rather than general law
jurisprudent
vscanonist
  • Formal
9.8

A person who knows a lot about law and legal ideas

is concentrated on church legal rules not general legal theory

Surface Forms

canonist singular
canonists plural

Morphology

canonist = canon (transparent) = canon + ist

Clear agentive formation: 'canon' (church law) + '-ist' denotes a specialist in that field.

Etymology

Canonist comes from canon, and from Greek kanon which meant 'rule' or a 'measuring rod', and the ending -ist means a specialist, like in artist. So a canonist is a person who knows and works with the church's rules.