Canonical representation Data Engineering; Symbolic AI
noun phrase
Definition: A standardized or normal-form representation of data, structures, or expressions chosen so that equivalent objects map to the same form, thereby supporting comparison, interoperability, storage, or reasoning [Verma, Kumar 2026].
Example in context: “The goal of the ECS-KG model is to define the key properties of events through a canonical representation incorporating semantic and temporal relations between events and entities.” [Lakshika et al. 2025]
Synonyms: normal form; standardized representation
Related terms: schema normalization; canonical format; intermediate representation; semantic normalization