Meanings
plural journaleses
- countableuncountableA style of writing used in some newspapers and magazines, characterized by cliché, hyperbolic language, use of some vocabulary items that are mostly confined to this genre, and clipped syntax.
We write journalese out of habit, sometimes from misguided training, and to sound urgent, authoritative and, well, journalistic. But it doesn't do any of that.
c. 2000, Joe Grimm, Detroit Free Press1 more example
The veteran newspaper columnist, Keith Waterhouse, identifies two versions of this journalese. The first is officialese. It can be found everywhere […] The second version, which he calls tabloidese, is characterised by bolted-together monosyllables and sensationalism. Both types of journalese have this in common: people don't speak like that.
2004, Rick Thompson, Writing for Broadcast Journalists, Routledge, →ISBN, page 21Synonyms: newspaperese
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA style of writing used in some newspapers and magazines, characterized by cliché, hyperbolic language, use of some vocabulary items that are mostly confined to this genre, and clipped syntax.
Origin
Translations
Chinese Mandarin 新聞文體 /新闻文体
- 新聞文體 /新闻文体 (xīnwén wéntǐ)style of writing used in some newspapers and magazines
German Zeitungsstil, Jargon der Journalisten
- Zeitungsstilstyle of writing used in some newspapers and magazines
- Jargon der Journalistenstyle of writing used in some newspapers and magazines
Hungarian sajtónyelv, zsurnalizmus
- sajtónyelvstyle of writing used in some newspapers and magazines
- zsurnalizmusstyle of writing used in some newspapers and magazines
Polish żargon dziennikarski
- żargon dziennikarskistyle of writing used in some newspapers and magazines
Portuguese jornalês
- jornalêsstyle of writing used in some newspapers and magazines
Cite this entry
journalese. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/journalese
“journalese.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/journalese. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “journalese,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/journalese.
Source: journalese on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.