tabloid

American  

[tab-loid] / ˈtæb lɔɪd /

noun

1. a newspaper whose pages, usually five columns wide, are about one-half the size of a standard-sized newspaper page.

2. a newspaper this size concentrating on sensational and lurid news, usually heavily illustrated.

3. a short form or version; condensation; synopsis; summary.

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adjective

1. compressed or condensed in or as if in a tabloid.

   a tabloid article; a tabloid account of the adventure.

2. luridly or vulgarly sensational.

tabloid British  

/ ˈtæblɔɪd /

noun

1. a newspaper with pages about 30 cm (12 inches) by 40 cm (16 inches), usually characterized by an emphasis on photographs and a concise and often sensational style Compare broadsheet

2. (modifier) designed to appeal to a mass audience or readership; sensationalist

   the tabloid press

   tabloid television

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Other Word Forms

• tabloidism noun

Etymology

Origin of tabloid

First recorded in 1905–10; tabl(et) + -oid

Example Sentences

Actor Liz Hurley on Thursday broke down in tears in the witness box of London's High Court as she accused a tabloid publisher of "monstrous" conduct including planting secret microphones on her home windows.

From Barron's

Because so much of this case seemed to revolve around stories written many years ago, in an entirely different era for the tabloid press.

From BBC

Prince Harry insisted on Wednesday that his latest legal battle with a UK tabloid publisher was "not just about me" and was in the public interest, as he took the stand in a London court.

From Barron's

Over the past 30 years, the Beckhams have navigated a media landscape that has morphed from a tabloid feeding frenzy into a social media free-for-all, so the instinct to protect their image is perhaps understandable.

From BBC

One British tabloid branded him a “ruthless corporate raider.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• paper