Rubrical

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Relating to or resembling a rubric, which indicates guidelines or instructions for evaluation or classification
2. Describing something that is marked or addressed with a title or heading for organization
3. Characterizing a systematic approach to categorizing content or providing directions in a structured manner

Etymology: "Rubrical" is simply "rubric" with the adjectival suffix "-al" attached, so it means "of or relating to a rubric." The more interesting story is in the noun it grows from. "Rubric" comes from Latin "rubrica," meaning red earth or red ochre, which was used as a red pigment. Medieval scribes and manuscript makers used red ink to set apart headings, instructions and liturgical directions from the main text, and those red-marked passages gave the word its later sense of a heading or set of rules. The adjective therefore carries that old practice with it: something that is rubrical is one that has been marked off, titled or set apart in the way a red heading would have been. The suffix "-al," borrowed from Latin "-alis" through French, simply turns the noun into a description of that quality.