tabloid

[ tab-loid ]

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.

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

/ 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

Other Words From

• tabloid·ism noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of tabloid¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of tabloid¹

C20: from earlier Tabloid, a trademark for a medicine in tablet form

Example Sentences

A few months ago, during the Paris Games, Wasserman was the subject of a tabloid report that resulted in some outsiders suggesting he step down.

From Los Angeles Times

James Van Der Beek says a tabloid threat prompted him to quickly go public with his cancer diagnosis: ‘There’s no playbook for how to announce these things.’

From Los Angeles Times

McIlroy was responding to a question about an unconfirmed report in a British tabloid that a deal had already been struck.

From Los Angeles Times

The leaking of the documents – to Britain’s Jewish Chronicle and Germany’s tabloid Bild - came at a crucial time for hostage negotiations.

From BBC

I wrote, I edited, and I managed personalities during a Wild West period for the publication as it transitioned into the scrappy online tabloid it remained for many years.

From Slate

Related Words

• paper