canonicalprocessing
nounUK /kəˈnɒnɪkəl ˈprəʊsɛsɪŋ/
US /kəˈnɑːnɪkəl ˈprɑːsɛsɪŋ/
The way a computer changes words into their most basic, standard form so they can be compared easily.
Canonical processing turns 'Running' and 'run' into the same word so the search finds both.
OTHER MEANINGS
2. In math, the process of rewriting an expression into its simplest standard form.
Canonical processing reduced the polynomial to its standard ordered form.
3. In databases, converting data into a single agreed format before storing or comparing it.
Canonical processing of phone numbers removed spaces and dashes before matching records.
4. In linguistics, reducing words to a shared base form for consistent analysis.
Canonical processing mapped 'cats' and 'cat' to one entry in the dictionary.