CEFR C1

canonical form

noun phrase

Meaning

A standard or normal way of expressing something, especially a mathematical or linguistic expression, in a unique and simplified form that can be used as a reference or basis for comparison.

Examples

The canonical form of a quadratic equation is ax^2 + bx + c = 0.
The linguist reduced the complex sentence to its canonical form to analyze its grammatical structure.

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canonical form (C1)

noun phrase

Pronunciation: /kəˈnɒnɪkəl fɔːrm/

Definition

A standard or normal way of expressing something, especially a mathematical or linguistic expression, in a unique and simplified form that can be used as a reference or basis for comparison.

Examples

The canonical form of a quadratic equation is ax^2 + bx + c = 0.
The linguist reduced the complex sentence to its canonical form to analyze its grammatical structure.

How to Use canonical form

in canonical form (prepositional phrase): in a standard or simplified representation — "The equation was expressed in canonical form."
canonical form of (noun phrase): a standard or simplified representation of something — "The canonical form of the quadratic equation is ax^2 + bx + c = 0."

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