Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary - canonize

 transitive verb  (~d; canonizing)  Etymology: Middle English, from Medieval Latin canonizare, from Late Latin canon catalog of saints, from Latin, standard  Date: 14th century  1. to declare (a deceased person) an officially recognized saint  2. to make canonical  3. to sanction by ecclesiastical authority  4. to attribute authoritative sanction or approval to  5. to treat as illustrious, preeminent, or sacred  • canonization noun