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

But when some sly maneuvering on his part gets his photo and name in the tabloids as a Bond frontrunner, the chaos that follows takes over the days leading up to Eid — the most important holiday of the year for his British Pakistani family. —Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 27 Mar. 2026

So the cruelty of the tabloids and the cost on real people’s lives, on the one hand. —Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 27 Mar. 2026

Adjective

The interview takes a bad turn when the Ralph Lauren office building is besieged by the tabloid mob. —Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 13 Mar. 2026

As in the tabloid media’s obsession with Carolyn. —Lisa Depaulo, HollywoodReporter, 13 Mar. 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