rubella

noun

ru·​bel·​la rü-ˈbe-lə 

: an acute contagious viral disease that is caused by a single-stranded RNA virus (Rubivirus rubellae) and milder than typical measles but is damaging to the fetus when occurring early in pregnancy : german measles

Examples of rubella in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The vaccine is used to fight against measles, mumps and rubella. — Irene Wright, USA Today, 20 Aug. 2026

One dose of the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine is 93% effective against measles and two doses are 97% effective, the county health department says. — Madeline Bartos, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026

Sharfstein and other public health experts have pointed out there's no science to support giving the measles vaccine in a separate shot from the mumps and rubella vaccines. — Sydney Lupkin, NPR, 20 Aug. 2026

Single-antigen vaccines for measles, mumps and rubella are not currently available and could take years to develop. — Chuka Onuh, Chicago Tribune, 20 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Latin, feminine of rubellus reddish, from ruber red — more at red

First Known Use

1866, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for rubella

• brucella
• candela
• capella
• chlorella
• flagella
• glabella
• lamella
• marcella
• mustela
• novella
• patella
• predella

Kids Definition

rubella

noun

ru·​bel·​la rü-ˈbel-ə 

: german measles

Medical Definition

rubella

noun

ru·​bel·​la rü-ˈbel-ə 

: an acute contagious disease that is milder than typical measles but is damaging to the fetus when occurring early in pregnancy and that is caused by a matonavirus (Rubivirus rubellae) : german measles see maternal rubella