canonically

The word "canonically" comes from the idea of a "canon"—a standard or authoritative body of rules, texts, or works (for example, church canons and the canon of scripture). Over time, the term broadened to mean any recognized, official collection within a field. When something is described as being "canonically" true, it means it fits the accepted standard and is treated as officially valid within that system.

In modern everyday usage, the word shows up most often in discussions about fictional universes, where "canon" means the official continuity: the storyline, characters, and events that the creators or rights-holders accept as "what really happened." This is why people use it to separate the official narrative from spin-offs, retellings, alternate timelines, and fan-created ideas.

But the same logic applies outside entertainment. In religion, a text can be recognized canonically as part of scripture. In literature and the arts, works can be discussed as canonically included (or excluded) from the commonly taught or widely accepted "canon." In games, "canonical" rules can mean the officially published rules, as opposed to house rules.

Using "canonically" highlights the boundary between what is and what isn't included in the official framework—and it also hints at who gets to decide that framework. A theory might be clever, but if it isn't supported by the accepted sources, it isn't considered to have happened canonically.