rubicon
rubicon Lexical Profile
rubicon Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A bounding or limiting line; a point of no return where crossing it irrevocably commits a person to a specific course of action.
"By resigning from the board in public protest, she knew she had crossed a rubicon in her professional career."
A small river in northeastern Italy that historically formed the boundary between Roman Italy and Cisalpine Gaul.
Word Nuance & Usage
Most commonly encountered in the idiom 'cross the Rubicon', and frequently capitalized even when used metaphorically as a common noun to denote a point of no return.
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
From Latin 'Rubico' (stem 'Rubicon-'), a small river in northern Italy. In 49 BC, Julius Caesar led his army across the river, violating Roman law and making civil war inevitable.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.