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

Explanation

A tabloid is a newspaper, especially one that's smaller than a traditional daily paper and focuses on sensational news items. If you're lucky, you might read some juicy tabloid headlines when you pass the corner newsstand. A tabloid is more likely to print celebrity gossip or crime stories with large photographs than news about international issues or the economy, especially on the front page. Tabloids aren't taken entirely seriously as journalism, although they are very popular and tend to sell well. The word tabloid originally meant "small tablet of medicine" in the 1880's. By 1900, it also meant "a compressed form of anything," including journalism.

Example Sentences

In rare criticism of the government from pro-Kremlin media, a Russian tabloid this week published an article criticizing state efforts to police the internet.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

I stopped drinking hot chocolate after reading in a grocery-store tabloid that one shouldn’t drink their calories.

From Salon • Mar. 31, 2026

“I am shocked that we’re going down and peddling tabloid garbage in this committee today,” she said.

From Slate • Mar. 5, 2026

There were leaks to the trades and tabloid press that parent company Paramount was looking to trim King’s salary or reduce her role at the network as a means to cut costs.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 4, 2026

I can make sure the proper authorities deal with it efficiently and quickly and with no stupid tabloid publicity.

From "The Subtle Knife" by Philip Pullman

Related Words

• paper