adjective
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of, relating to, or containing satire
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given to the use of satire
Synonym Usage
See cynical.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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satiricallyadverb
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unsatiricallyadverb
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semisatiricallyadverb
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pseudosatiricaladjective
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semisatiricadjective
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unsatiricadjective
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quasi-satiricallyadverb
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subsatiricallyadverb
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nonsatiricallyadverb
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nonsatiricalnessnoun
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subsatiricadjective
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unsatiricalnessnoun
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nonsatiricaladjective
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semisatiricaladjective
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satiricalnessnoun
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pseudosatiricallyadverb
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nonsatiricadjective
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unsatiricaladjective
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subsatiricalnessnoun
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quasi-satiricaladjective
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subsatiricaladjective
Etymology
Origin of satirical
First recorded in 1520–30; from Late Latin satiric(us) (from satir(a) satire + -icus -ic ) + -al 1
Explanation
If you know the movie you are about to see is satirical, you expect it to make fun some aspect of human nature or even our society, like a satirical take on the glamorous world of fashion that portrays all the designers as celebrity-obsessed and unconcerned with true artistry. Satirical is an adjective that describes satire, a work that is intended to ridicule the shortcomings and antics of a person or group. So, something that is satirical often looks like the real thing in order to make fun of it. For example, a sketch on a comedy show in which a comedian sits behind a news anchor desk and uses a serious tone to "report" on absurd events that really happened takes a satirical approach to both the events and the concept of broadcast journalism.
Vocabulary lists containing satirical
100 SAT words Beginning with "S"
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This Week in Pop Culture: August 10–16, 2019
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ACT Reading Test: Words to Capture Tone, List 6
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Jason is the author of “Your Money and Your Brain,” on the neuroscience of investing, and "The Devil's Financial Dictionary," a satirical glossary of business jargon.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 29, 2026
The popularity was undoubtedly driven by the surprise - it is highly unusual for a club to make such satirical comments about a rival on a public forum.
From BBC • May 29, 2026
And it means that Stephen Colbert, one of the nation’s best vehicles for satirical critique, will no longer be on the air to make sense of the madness of the moment.
From Salon • May 19, 2026
With almost 160,000 followers on Instagram, he posts satirical videos about Cuba's blackouts and other hardships.
From Barron's • Apr. 7, 2026
Hence the 2004 headline in the satirical newspaper The Onion on the passing of postmodernism’s leading light: Jacques Derrida “Dies.”
From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
