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

What perhaps mattered more than the incendiary headlines or the sheer number of stories both tabloids immediately devoted to this event, however, was the misinformation each was also imparting to the public. —Literary Hub, 28 Jan. 2026

However, Pratt said he was met with an unpleasant surprise when the photos made their way to tabloids. —Lara Walsh, InStyle, 27 Jan. 2026

Adjective

Aiming to shake up the Golden State’s media landscape, the California Post launched on Monday with a new tabloid newspaper and news site that brings a brash, cheeky and conservative-friendly fixture of the Big Apple to the West Coast. —News Service Reports, Oc Register, 26 Jan. 2026

Goetz’s case helped build the early architecture of conservative tabloid media and inflammatory talk radio. —Heather Ann Thompson, The Atlantic, 26 Jan. 2026

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