rubric means coloured or marked with red; placed in rubrics. Lexicurio rates it Rare gem — a strength score of 77 out of 100.
rubric is pronounced /ˈɹuːbɹɪk/.
Why “rubric” is a great word
RUBRIC — [Noun, Adjective] An authoritative heading, title, or set of formal criteria for evaluation or conduct, originally distinguished in red ink. From Middle English rubriche, rubrike, from Old French rubrique, from Latin rūbrīca (“red ochre”, the substance used for red letters), from ruber (“red”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁rewdʰ- (“red”). Unlike a “guideline” (which suggests a pliable recommendation) or a “category” (a simple, neutral division), a rubric is a formalized boundary, a standard of judgment set apart by tradition and authority. It is the vermillion capital beginning a medieval manuscript’s chapter, the bolded directives on a teacher’s grading sheet, and the precise formula for a sacrament—each a deliberate island of order in a monochrome sea of text, asserting that some distinctions are meant to be seen.
adj
- Coloured or marked with red; placed in rubrics.“VVhat tho' my Name ſtood rubric on the vvalls? / Or plaiſter'd poſts, vvith Claps in capitals?”
- Of or relating to the rubric or rubrics; rubrical.
noun
- A heading in a book highlighted in red.
- A title of a category or a class.“That would fall under the rubric of things we can ignore for now.”
- The directions for a religious service, formerly printed in red letters.“All the clergy in England solemnly pledge themselves to observe the rubrics.”
- An established rule or custom; a guideline.“Whilst this rubric is not written into law, it should always be followed.”
- A statement of intent.“The Government's rubric of "caring for communities" is ridiculous.”
- A set of explanatory notes or rules at the beginning of an exam paper, usually typographically distinct from the rest of the paper.“Do not award marks to candidates who have made rubric errors.”
verb
- To adorn with red; to redden.“That Cavalier who Rubricks his Executions with the Bloud he hath drawn by the instrument of Extortion from the Poor.”
- To organize or classify into rubrics.