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

And by the time the concert came around, U.K. tabloid The Sun had just published images showing him knocking on doors, seemingly by himself, while looking for a friend in a London street. —Jack Royston, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 May 2025

Kohli during the Australian tour was essentially anchored to the back page of the tabloids resorting to great lengths to get a rise out of the Indian fans. —Tristan Lavalette, Forbes.com, 12 May 2025

Adjective

Given that her involvement was licensing a song for the film, which 19 other artists also did, this document subpoena is designed to use Taylor Swift’s name to draw public interest by creating tabloid clickbait instead of focusing on the facts of the case. —Melody Chiu, People.com, 9 May 2025

The duo probably kept the entire tabloid magazine industry alive during their brief relationship in the early 2000s. —Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 8 May 2025

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