rubric

plural rubrics · alternative rubrick

1. A heading in a book highlighted in red.
2. A title of a category or a class.

   That would fall under the rubric of things we can ignore for now.

   1 more example

   And in one swoop, the Attorney General conceded to the president nearly unlimited power, just as long as he finds a lawyer willing to stuff his actions into the boundless rubric of “defending the country.”

   2008, Chris Dodd, Senator Dodd Speaks in Opposition to FISA Bill on Floor of U.S. Senate

3. ChristianityThe directions for a religious service, formerly printed in red letters.

   All the clergy in England solemnly pledge themselves to observe the rubrics.

   1842, Walter Hook, Church Dictionary

4. An established rule or custom; a guideline.

   Whilst this rubric is not written into law, it should always be followed.

   3 more examples

   1847-1848, Thomas De Quincey, "Protestantism", in Tait's Edinburgh Magazine Nay, as a duty, it had no place or rubric in human conceptions before Christianity.

   Let Comus rise Archbishop of the land; Let him your rubric and your feasts prescribe

   1782, William Cowper, “Progress of Error”, in Poems, London: […] J[oseph] Johnson, […], →OCLC

   Through processes such as “reinforcement learning with human feedback,” which enlists people to grade AI outputs against a rubric, models are guided toward responses that exemplify desired traits.

   2026 March 17, Jasmine Sun, “The Human Skill That Eludes AI”, in Jeffrey Goldberg, editor, The Atlantic, Washington, D.C.: The Atlantic Monthly Group, →ISSN, →OCLC

5. A statement of intent.

   The Government's rubric of "caring for communities" is ridiculous.

   1 more example

   “It is diabolical for banks and asset managers to invest billions in major fossil fuel companies under the rubric of ‘green investing’ when we need to accelerate investments in non- and low-carbon energy, in carbon efficiency, and in carbon removal technologies,” said Richard Heede at the Climate Accountability Institute.

   2025 May 18, Damian Carrington, Giorgio Michalopoulos, Stefano Valentino, “Revealed: European ‘green’ investments hold billions in fossil fuel majors”, in Katharine Viner, editor, The Guardian, London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC

6. educationA 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.

   1 more example

   In the first prospectus the rubric on this paper began 'Historical sources and materials and how the historian uses them[…]'

   1985, Asa Briggs, Serious Pursuits: Communications and Education (The Collected Essays of Asa Briggs), volume 3, Harvester Press, page 364

7. educationA set of scoring criteria for evaluating student work and for giving feedback.

   We refer to the rubric when marking oral examinations.

8. A flourish after a signature.

   Synonyms: paraph

9. Red ochre.

comparative more rubric · superlative most rubric · alternative rubrick

1. 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?

   1735 January 13 (Gregorian calendar; indicated as 1734), [Alexander] Pope, An Epistle from Mr. Pope, to Dr. Arbuthnot, London: […] J[ohn] Wright for Lawton Gilliver […], →OCLC, page 11, lines 210–211

2. Of or relating to the rubric or rubrics; rubrical.

present singular third person rubrics · participle present rubricking · participle past rubricked · past rubricked · alternative rubrick

1. transitiveTo 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.

   1681, Paul Rycaut, The Critick, translation of original by Lorenzo Gracián

2. transitiveTo organize or classify into rubrics.