a priori vs canonical

a priori

adj
  • Presumed without analysis. 

  • Self-evident, intuitively obvious. 

  • Based on hypothesis and theory rather than experiment or empirical evidence. 

  • Developed entirely from scratch, without deriving it from existing languages. 

adv
  • In a way based on theoretical deduction rather than empirical observation. 

canonical

adj
  • Prototypical. 

  • In canonical form. 

  • Distinguished among entities of its kind, so that it can be picked out in a way that does not depend on any arbitrary choices. 

  • Part of canon (“the main continuity of a fictional universe”). 

  • Stated or used in the most basic and straightforwardly applicable manner. 

  • In conformity with canon law. 

  • In the form of a canon. 

  • Of or pertaining to an ecclesiastical chapter 

  • Present in a canon, religious or otherwise. 

  • According to recognised or orthodox rules. 

noun
  • The formal robes of a priest. 

  • A URL presented in canonical form. 

How often have the words a priori and canonical occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )