satire

[sat-ahy^uhr]

noun

1. 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.

2. 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: travesty, parody, caricature, burlesque

3. a genre of literature, art, or entertainment comprising such works.

   The eighteenth century is considered British literature’s golden age of satire.

   Synonyms: travesty, parody, caricature, burlesque

satire

/ ˈsætaɪə /

noun

1. a novel, play, entertainment, etc, in which topical issues, folly, or evil are held up to scorn by means of ridicule and irony

2. the genre constituted by such works

3. the use of ridicule, irony, etc, to create such an effect

satire

1. 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.

Other Word Forms

• nonsatire noun

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 )

Word History and Origins

Origin of satire¹

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

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.

Example Sentences

Will Tracy’s script, an adaptation of the glumly funny 2003 Korean satire “Save the Green Planet!” is itself a study of online brain rot, which has become exponentially more perilous over the last two decades.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

“The president was using social media to make a point,” Johnson said, calling it “satire.”

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“He is using satire to make a point. He is not calling for the murder of his political opponents, and that’s what these people are doing,” Johnson said.

Read more on Salon

But fans of the long-running satire will still get four additional episodes this year, if “South Park” co-creator Matt Stone and Trey Parker stick to the schedule they outlined.

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The guest spot gives Colbert an intriguing new chapter: as he transitions away from nightly hosting, he steps into fiction, satire and dramatic irony all at once.

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Related Words

• banter 
• caricature 
• irony 
• mockery 
• parody 
• sarcasm 
• skit 
• spoof 
• wit