rubric

[roo-brik]

noun

1. a title, heading, direction, or the like, in a manuscript, book, statute, etc., written or printed in red or otherwise distinguished from the rest of the text.

2. a direction for the conduct of divine service or the administration of the sacraments, inserted in liturgical books.

3. any established mode of conduct or procedure; protocol.

4. an explanatory comment; gloss.

5. a class or category

6. Archaic.,  red ocher.

adjective

1. written, inscribed in, or marked with or as with red; rubrical.

2. Archaic.,  red; ruddy.

rubric

/ ˈruːbrɪk /

noun

1. a title, heading, or initial letter in a book, manuscript, or section of a legal code, esp one printed or painted in red ink or in some similarly distinguishing manner

2. a set of rules of conduct or procedure

3. a set of directions for the conduct of Christian church services, often printed in red in a prayer book or missal

4. instructions to a candidate at the head of the examination paper

5. an obsolete name for red ochre

adjective

1. written, printed, or marked in red

Other Word Forms

• rubrical adjective
• rubrically adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of rubric¹

1325–75; < Latin rūbrīca red ocher (derivative of ruber red ¹ ); replacing Middle English rubriche, rubrike (noun) < Old French

Word History and Origins

Origin of rubric¹

C15 rubrike red ochre, red lettering, from Latin rubrīca ( terra ) red (earth), ruddle, from ruber red

Example Sentences

Ultimately, the dog is matched with an adopter using the same considered rubric, and the happily ever after ensues.

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The second question on this foolproof rubric is, “Does the shark movie have a necessary degree of camp that both reveres and respects that it is, indeed, a shark movie?”

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"I believe Harry falls very much into that rubric," Dolan said, "because the scapegoat is not only the one who's perceived to be the villain of the family, but their truth-telling is perceived as betrayal."

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The Netflix romance drama capped its sixth season, now streaming, with the long-anticipated wedding of Mel Monroe and Jack Sheridan, the show’s central couple whose relationship unapologetically leans into its escapist fantasy rubric.

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The evaluator's rubric has six criteria to consider when determining the scores of the interview: intimacy, social desirability, general job abilities, decisiveness, cooperativeness and overall hireability.

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When To Use

What does rubric mean?

Rubric commonly refers to a set of guidelines or a protocol for how something will or should be done, like how an assignment will be graded.Rubric is also commonly used to mean a class or category. Its original meaning, which is still used, refers to text printed in red or set apart in some other way, such as a heading in a manuscript. Less commonly, rubric can be used as an adjective meaning written or marked in red.Example: Please check the rubric when writing your papers so you know exactly what I’m looking for.