Word of the Day: RUBRIC

Pronunciation: roo.brik
UK /ˈruːbrɪk/
US /ˈruːbrɪk/

Meaning

A rubric is a set of rules, instructions or criteria used to guide or judge something. In education, it usually means a list of criteria used to assess a student's work. The word can also mean a heading or category under which something is discussed.

Examples for daily usage

  • The teacher gave us a rubric explaining how the project would be graded.
  • Make sure your essay follows the rubric before submitting it.
  • The competition had a clear rubric for judging each performance.

Origin and history

Rubric comes from the Latin ‘rubrica’, meaning “red ochre” or “red colouring matter”, from ruber, meaning “red”. The connection comes from the use of red ink in medieval books.

From around the 13th century, rubric referred to instructions in religious books, particularly directions for carrying out church services. These instructions were often written in red so that they could be easily distinguished from the main text.

By the early 15th century, the word could also mean a title or heading, which was often printed in red. Its broader sense of a general rule or descriptive heading developed much later.

Also Read: Word of the Day, September 27: ‘Quotient’

Cultural significance and modern usage

The word gradually moved beyond religious texts and bookmaking. Today, one of its most familiar uses is in education, where a rubric lays out the standards against which an assignment, presentation or project will be assessed.

Rubrics are also used outside classrooms. They can provide criteria for judging applications, performances, competitions, research projects and other forms of work. 

Interesting facts

The original rubric was often literally red writing.

The person who added these red markings was known as a rubricator.

Examples from literature

  • “There is indeed an old MS. extant with a rubric which orders the priest to bray thrice on elevating the Host.” — A History of the Reformation in England, James Anthony Froude.
  • “It is obvious and easy to say on the one hand, ‘There is no doubt about the matter. The rubric is statute law, and therefore overrides the canon, which is not.’” — Rites and Ritual, Philip Freeman
  • “Thus the provisions of the Rubric of the Book of Common Prayer were enforced by the justices as well as by the ordinaries.” — The Elizabethan Parish in its Ecclesiastical and Financial Aspects, Sedley Lynch Ware

Synonyms

  • Guideline
  • Criterion
  • Rule
  • Standard
  • Instruction
  • Framework

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