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

Photos of Swift and Kelce’s family leaving his Briarcliff home appeared in an English tabloid in 2023. —Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 1 July 2025

But months later, Benjamin reached out to Mamdani’s campaign directly, an aide said, inviting the candidate to meet the influential right-wing tabloid’s editorial board. —Max Tani, semafor.com, 30 June 2025

Adjective

Meanwhile, Bieber’s personal life has remained a point of tabloid fascination. —Brittany Spanos, Rolling Stone, 11 July 2025

Together, the two accounts have rung up millions of views by seizing on viral stories that skew more toward tabloid fodder than political drama. —Shannon Bond, NPR, 10 July 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