tabloid

1 of 3

noun (1)

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 3

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

tabloidism

3 of 3

noun (2)

tab·​loid·​ism -ȯiˌdizəm 

plural -s

: the journalistic style and characteristics of a tabloid newspaper

to astound the world with the new is the very essence of tabloidism

—Oscar Cargill

Examples of tabloid in a Sentence

Noun (1)

She is used to seeing her name in the tabloids.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The song appears to reference the couple’s wedding on the New Jersey shore in August 2023, which was heavily covered in the tabloids. — Martha Ross, Mercury News, 8 July 2026

When Harry and Meghan began dating, the British tabloids went into overdrive with incessant coverage. — Jennifer Hassan, USA Today, 7 July 2026

Adjective

Prince Harry is breaking his silence after a British court ruled against him amid his yearslong legal battle with the tabloid press. — Hannah Malach, InStyle, 7 July 2026

The tabloid publisher repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, insisting that its journalists reported their stories using legitimate sources and asserted the cases had been brought too late. — Lauren Said-Moorhouse, CNN Money, 7 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

from Tabloid, a trademark

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1891, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Adjective

1902, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Noun (2)

1901, in the meaning defined above

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