rubric

noun

ˈrü-brik How to pronounce rubric (audio)
Definition of rubricnext
1
as in title
a word or series of words often in larger letters placed at the beginning of a passage or at the top of a page in order to introduce or categorize the rubrics at the beginning of the chapters are intended to be humorous

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in rule
an inherited or established way of thinking, feeling, or doing the rubric, popular among jewelers anyway, that a man should spend a month's salary on his fiancée's engagement ring

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in category
one of the units into which a whole is divided on the basis of a common characteristic all of these books with their conspiracy theories fall under the rubric of speculative fiction

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of rubric Under the White House’s rubric, the Americans who most need clear guidance are those who stand to lose. — Will Gottsegen, The Atlantic, 13 Aug. 2026 Under the rubric, FIFA would spin off a company to manage commercial activities related to the World Cup, such as broadcasting rights, merchandising, ticket sales, and sponsorships. — Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 3 Aug. 2026 Though much derided in advance, this expansion of the rubric did mean that Cabo Verde swam into our ken. — Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 17 July 2026 Three other housing trust projects are also in various stages of developement using the same development rubric, Ortega said. — Mark Dee july 16, Idaho Statesman, 16 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for rubric
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rubric
  1. title
  2. rule
  3. category
  4. caption
  5. tradition
  6. kind
  7. heading
  8. values
Noun
  • The New York Yankees become the first team in more than a quarter-century to win three straight World Series titles, beating the New York Mets 4-2.
    — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2026
  • As their titles indicate, the two larger works, Le Jour and Le Nuit, are in dialogue with each other.
    — Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of title
Noun
  • Voters in six states will soon decide whether to impose or expand voter identification requirements, including rules requiring mail voters to provide part of a driver’s license or Social Security number.
    — Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 25 Oct. 2026
  • Some states, however, have chosen not to adopt the federal rule because of concerns about near-term revenue losses.
    — Rick Lazio, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of rule
Noun
  • The alliance will fund work on species in the three highest-risk categories (endangered, critically endangered, and extinct in the wild), which together include more than 31,000 species.
    — Sydney Lake, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026
  • The category saw orders triple as shoppers sought out fragrances, K-beauty skin care and took inspiration from spring 2027 looks with glowy skin, smoky eyes and textured hair.
    — Kanika Talwar, Footwear News, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of category
Noun
  • Swift shared the photo on Instagram, accompanied by a caption that celebrated the future kind’s birthday.
    — Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Kate often shares photos of herself, Rory and their daughter — usually along with cute captions and musings about motherhood.
    — Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of caption
Noun
  • The next president, regardless of party, will face specific questions about how much to sustain the long tradition of direct US military aid to Israel and deep US integration with its military.
    — Shelby Talcott, semafor.com, 26 Oct. 2026
  • In Spain, modern farming methods have reduced the practice of transhumance to a small group of farmers that keep the tradition alive not just for its environmental benefits but also for its cultural value.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of tradition
Noun
  • Over the period, visibility was supported by itinerant pop-ups under the new Miu Miu Vinyl Club format and the brand unveiled the Miu Miu Shanghai IFC lounge, a one-of-a-kind environment providing intimate hospitality.
    — Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Still, a controversy of some kind might have been inevitable.
    — Jack Denton, Vulture, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of kind
Noun
  • Hopkins stays red-hot in front of goal Haley Hopkins is red-hot heading into the playoffs.
    — Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Meanwhile, the navigation system will provide essential flight information, including the aircraft’s orientation, heading and position.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of heading
Noun
  • LendingTree’s model values the federal child tax credit at $2,200 per child, up from $2,000.
    — Martie Bowser, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Education and giving back are important values to the family as the project represents for them a broader impact within the natural diamond industry.
    — Fairchild Studio, Footwear News, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of values

Browse Nearby Words

rubouts
rubric
rubrics
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Rubric.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rubric. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of grotesque

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All