headlinese

H4E1A1D2L1I1N1E1S1E1
UK, US/ˌhɛd.laɪˈniz/

noun

The jargon used in headlines of newspapers, often with unconventional grammar driven mainly by extreme brevity as a constraint of the medium.

Scrabble 14
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Meanings

nounheadlinese (uncountable)

alternative headline-ese

  1. uncountableThe jargon used in headlines of newspapers, often with unconventional grammar driven mainly by extreme brevity as a constraint of the medium.

    [Otto] Jespersen, a language professor known for his expertise in syntax and language development, stated that headlinese is not really grammatical writing.

    2021 May 29, Richard Nordquist, “What Is Headlinese?”, in ThoughtCo, archived from the original on 10 Dec 2021

Origin

From headline + -ese.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

German Schlagzeilenstil
  • SchlagzeilenstilTranslations
Polish styl nagłówkowy
  • styl nagłówkowyTranslations
Cite this entry
APA

headlinese. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/headlinese

MLA

“headlinese.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/headlinese. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “headlinese,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/headlinese.

Source: headlinese on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.