tabloid

American  

[tab-loid] / ˈtæb lɔɪd /

noun

• tabloids
  plural

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

Derived Forms

• tabloidism
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• tabloids
  plural

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

See Examples For:

tabloid tabloids

"Georg is our greatest joy. This feeling is almost impossible to put into words," he told tabloid newspaper Bild.

From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026

Cercy said that “attempting to insinuate otherwise and tear him down with a baseless, lie-filled tabloid story is not real reporting.”

From Salon ● Jul. 7, 2026

The story of our origins becomes a tabloid romance.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 7, 2026

In the end journalists from the Daily Mail tabloid found him in a rescue centre in south London.

From Barron's ● Jul. 1, 2026

It comes from a weekly feature in a local tabloid, The Cape Codder, called “Ask the Bird Folks.”

From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker

The case, the third and final one brought by the Duke of Sussex in his acrimonious legal battle with British tabloids, has further strained relations with the royal family.

From Barron's ● Jul. 10, 2026

LONDON—Prince Harry lost his lawsuit against the publisher of the Daily Mail over allegations of unlawful behavior and press intrusion, the latest twist in his yearslong battle with the British tabloids.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026

Danson was freshly split from his second wife, producer Cassandra Coates, who served him divorce papers after the tabloids outed his fling with Goldberg early that year.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 4, 2026

The tabloids urged fans to “pray” for their 20-year-old star striker’s speedy recovery after he fractured his fourth metatarsal during Manchester United’s match against Chelsea just six weeks before England’s opening World Cup match.

From BBC ● May 10, 2026

“Now the tabloids are going to be pairing you with Hideo on their covers next week.”

From "Warcross" by Marie Lu

Related Words

• paper