tabloid

1 of 2

noun

tab·​loid ˈta-ˌblȯid 

1

: a newspaper that is about half the page size of an ordinary newspaper and that contains news in condensed form and much photographic matter

2

: digest, summary

tabloid

2 of 2

adjective

1

: of, relating to, or resembling tabloids

especially : featuring stories of violence, crime, or scandal presented in a sensational manner

tabloid television

2

: compressed or condensed into small scope

tabloid criticism

tabloidism

ˈta-ˌblȯi-ˌdi-zəm 

noun

Examples of tabloid in a Sentence

Noun

She is used to seeing her name in the tabloids.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

That strategy by some in the department, claims John Ramsey, included a relentless campaign of leaks, fed mostly to the nation's tabloids, that had a devastating effect on public opinion. —Erin Moriarty, CBS News, 21 Dec. 2024

In March, rumors spread of Martin’s engagement to longtime partner Dakota Johnson; of late, tabloids have been floating the idea that the relationship has cooled. —Alex Morris, Rolling Stone, 19 Dec. 2024

Adjective

Her success in these projects, especially the latter, bespeaks a wider market than mere tabloid chasers and also, since even critics of her personal life won’t begrudge the work, the fickleness of gossip. —Lauren Michele Jackson, The New Yorker, 18 Dec. 2024

To give you the Reader’s Digest version, though, Sweeney, whose insistence on having breasts has prompted some of the most unhinged discourse of 2024, posted dozens of shots from tabloid comment sections (the unhappiest place on earth, except for X). —Hayley Maitland, Vogue, 14 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

from Tabloid, a trademark

First Known Use

Noun

1891, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Adjective

1902, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Kids Definition

tabloid

noun

tab·​loid

ˈtab-ˌlȯid

: a newspaper about half the page size of an ordinary newspaper containing short often sensational news stories and many photographs