journalese

American  

[jur-nl-eez, -ees] / ˌdʒɜr nlˈiz, -ˈis /

noun

1. a manner of writing or speaking characterized by clichés, occasional neologism, archness, sensationalizing adjectives, unusual or faulty syntax, etc., used by some journalists, especially certain columnists, and regarded as typical journalistic style.

2. writing or expression in this manner.

   Get that journalese out of your copy!

---

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characterized by this manner (often used predicatively).

   That word's not English, it's journalese.

journalese British  

/ ˌdʒɜːnəˈliːz /

noun

1. derogatory a superficial cliché-ridden style of writing regarded as typical of newspapers

---

Etymology

Origin of journalese

First recorded in 1880–85; journal + -ese

Example Sentences

In The Harvest Gypsies articles, Steinbeck wrote in direct, matter-of-fact journalese.

From The Guardian • Aug. 13, 2019

“TK” is journalese for “to come,” and the story kame as promised a few minutes later, with “Historic” in the headline:

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 6, 2016

As noted earlier, journalese refers to a strained and artificial voice more common to news reports than to natural conversation.

From New York Times • Apr. 7, 2015

"A clean break from England is hopefully something he is very interested in," Uncle Iker rambled on, gently tapping out the bowl of his pipe, before swallowing and then regurgitating a dictionary of tabloid journalese.

From The Guardian • Jul. 14, 2010

The strong light at the back of the house—a wobbly one—was rapidly becoming a glow in the heavens, as they say in journalese.

From Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 152, May 16, 1917 by Various