: 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
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By 2015, rubella had been eliminated from the Americas.
—
Jake Scott, CNN Money, 19 Dec. 2025
New viral vaccines Through the 1960s, vaccines against measles (1963), mumps (1967) and rubella (1969) were licensed and eventually combined into what’s known as the MMR shot in 1971.
—Jake Scott, The Conversation, 18 Dec. 2025
However, Mecklenburg County falls just short of that figure, with 91% of children in grades K-5 up-to-date on the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine, according to Washington.
—Evan Moore
december 16, Charlotte Observer, 16 Dec. 2025
In September, the CDC's vaccine recommendation committee voted to recommend that the combined measles, mumps, rubella and varicella vaccine, or MMRV, be separated into MMR and varicella shots for children under the age of 4.
—CBS News, 16 Dec. 2025
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Jake Scott, CNN Money, 19 Dec. 2025
New viral vaccines Through the 1960s, vaccines against measles (1963), mumps (1967) and rubella (1969) were licensed and eventually combined into what’s known as the MMR shot in 1971.
—Jake Scott, The Conversation, 18 Dec. 2025
However, Mecklenburg County falls just short of that figure, with 91% of children in grades K-5 up-to-date on the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine, according to Washington.
—Evan Moore
december 16, Charlotte Observer, 16 Dec. 2025
In September, the CDC's vaccine recommendation committee voted to recommend that the combined measles, mumps, rubella and varicella vaccine, or MMRV, be separated into MMR and varicella shots for children under the age of 4.
—CBS News, 16 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rubella
Cite this Entry
“Rubella.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rubella. Accessed 25 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
rubella
noun
ru·bel·la
rü-ˈbel-ə 
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
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