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

Boyle has been candid about why she's been absent from the spotlight in recent years, opening up to PEOPLE in an exclusive interview in July 2024 about her days being followed by tabloids, which picked apart her thin frame and her former romance with Jack Nicholson, 88. —Charlotte Phillipp, People.com, 15 June 2025

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ yacht outings with his fiancé Lauren Sanchez get plenty of play in the tabloids, but Amazon — the brand — is heading for the water for a different reason altogether. —Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 2 June 2025

Adjective

There may not be anyone more visibly linked to Combs at the height of his success and the tabloid culture of the early 2000s than Watkins. —Lisa Respers France, CNN Money, 17 June 2025

Inside Israel, popular tabloid Yedioth Ahronoth focused on the military execution and its fallout, warning of a broader security threat across multiple fronts. —Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 16 June 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