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

JonBenét’s involvement in beauty pageants became fodder for tabloids, suspicion surrounded her parents even after they had been cleared as suspects, and numerous theories developed regarding who killed her. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 20 Aug. 2026

Another Oscar winner, Danny Boyle, has adapted James Graham’s Ink, a play about Rupert Murdoch’s 1969 acquisition of British newspaper The Sun, and its transformation into the country’s most influential and outrageous tabloid. — David Bloom, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026

Adjective

While many viewers praise the former child star as the beating heart of the series, her newfound success comes with heightened tabloid scrutiny, thecoverage wading into everything from her looks to her love life. — Julianna Bragg, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2026

The couple’s move is also somewhat surprising as just last month Harry lost his long-running privacy case against Associated Newspapers, the publisher of the tabloid Daily Mail. — Ellise Shafer, Variety, 20 Aug. 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