rubric

C2+ Topic:Actions & Processes

US /ˈrubrɪk/ UK /ˈruːbrɪk/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

noun
a heading, category, or set of instructions, often printed in red

Essays were graded against a clearly published rubric.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a heading, category, or set... heading category title rule guideline criterion protocol

Word family

Derived forms rubricalrubricate

Related forms rubyrubricaterubescent

Etymology

From Middle English rubrike, from Old French rubrique, from Latin rubrica ('red ochre, red-lettered heading'), from ruber ('red'), so called because such headings were printed in red.

rubrica Latin ruber Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes Word Formation & Derivatives

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# rubric

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈrubrɪk/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈruːbrɪk/

## Meanings
1. a heading, category, or set of instructions, often printed in red

## Examples
- Essays were graded against a clearly published rubric.

## Synonyms
- heading
- category
- title
- rule
- guideline
- criterion
- protocol

## Derived Forms
- rubrical
- rubricate

## Related Forms
- ruby
- rubricate
- rubescent

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: rubrica
- Root: ruber

## Etymology
From Middle English rubrike, from Old French rubrique, from Latin rubrica ('red ochre, red-lettered heading'), from ruber ('red'), so called because such headings were printed in red.

## AI Etymology
Rubric comes from Middle English rubrike, from Old French rubrique, from Latin rubrica ('red ochre, red-lettered heading'), from ruber ('red'), so called because such headings were printed in red. The historical chain includes Latin rubrica and Latin ruber. Older glosses in the chain include "red ochre, red-lettered heading" and "red", which help explain the semantic range of the modern word. Morphologically, rubric is best read as borrowing, yielding an English noun shaped by both form history and later usage. In current English it functions as a noun, with the sense "a heading, category, or set of instructions, often printed in red". English derivatives include rubrical and rubricate; related forms include ruby, rubricate, and rubescent. The result is an English noun whose etymology preserves the older forms while supporting the word's specialized modern meaning.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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rubric

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