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satire

[ sat-ahyuhr ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

the use of irony, sarcasm, ridicule, or the like, to expose, denounce, or deride the folly or corruption of institutions, people, or social structures:
The success of the production stems from its balance of affectionate comedy and well-observed satire.
a work of art, literature, or entertainment in which the folly and corruption of human beings, institutions, or social structures are exposed, denounced, or ridiculed:
The skit offended only those who didn’t recognize it as a political satire.
Did you notice that all the novels on her bookshelf were satires?
Synonyms: , , ,
a genre of literature, art, or entertainment comprising such works:
The eighteenth century is considered British literature’s golden age of satire.
Synonyms: , , ,

satire

/ ˈ��æ�ٲ�ɪə /

noun

a novel, play, entertainment, etc, in which topical issues, folly, or evil are held up to scorn by means of ridicule and irony
the genre constituted by such works
the use of ridicule, irony, etc, to create such an effect

satire

A work of literature that mocks social conventions, another work of art, or anything its author thinks ridiculous. Gulliver's Travels , by Jonathan Swift , is a satire of eighteenth-century British society.

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Other Word Forms

�Դǲ�·��·�� noun

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Word History and Origins

Origin of satire¹

First recorded in 1500–10; from Latin satira, variant of satura “medley,” perhaps feminine derivative of satur “sated” ( saturate )

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Word History and Origins

Origin of satire¹

C16: from Latin satira a mixture, from satur sated, from satis enough

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Compare Meanings

How does satire compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

satire vs. sarcasm

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Synonym Study

See irony ¹. Satire, lampoon refer to literary forms in which vices or follies are ridiculed. Satire, the general term, often emphasizes the weakness more than the weak person, and usually implies moral judgment and corrective purpose: Swift's satire of human pettiness and bestiality. Lampoon refers to a form of satire, often political or personal, characterized by the malice or virulence of its attack: lampoons of the leading political figures.

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

But "working funerals" have also been the subject of satire.

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�� happens when the political satire of “South Park” collides with a Muslim kid’s coming-of-age story in post-9/11 New Jersey?

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It had to be really really delicately handled because you're dealing with controversial material, but you're also threading a way through satire and horror and fear and real pain and just many, many things.

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Beatty’s scabrous satire follows a Black man who decides to reinstate slavery in his rural Los Angeles enclave, a crime for which he finds himself in the hallowed halls of the Supreme Court.

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The Indian pot belly - once a badge of prosperity, indulgence and aging respectability - has long been a target of satire and social commentary.

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Related Words

satiny satirical

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