'non-tabloid' originates from English, specifically the prefix 'non-' and the word 'tabloid', where 'non-' meant 'not' and 'tabloid' meant 'a condensed or sensational newspaper.'

'tabloid' changed from an earlier sense related to 'tablet' (a compressed pill or tablet) and was used metaphorically for 'condensed' or 'compact' forms of print; by the late 19th century it came to denote small, often sensational newspapers. The prefix 'non-' has been attached in modern usage to form 'non-tabloid' to mean 'not tabloid.'

Initially it literally meant 'not tabloid'; over time 'non-tabloid' has come to be used to describe journalism or publications that are specifically serious, restrained, or non-sensational in style.