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
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nonsatiricalnessnoun
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satiricalnessnoun
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subsatiricalnessnoun
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unsatiricalnessnoun
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nonsatiricadjective
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nonsatiricaladjective
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pseudosatiricaladjective
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quasi-satiricaladjective
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semisatiricadjective
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semisatiricaladjective
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subsatiricadjective
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subsatiricaladjective
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unsatiricadjective
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unsatiricaladjective
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nonsatiricallyadverb
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pseudosatiricallyadverb
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quasi-satiricallyadverb
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satiricallyadverb
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semisatiricallyadverb
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subsatiricallyadverb
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unsatiricallyadverb
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.
Satirical news outlet The Onion later made a bid to acquire Infowars with the families’ support to transform the website into a parody site.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 18, 2026
Satirical French newspaper La Bougie du Sapeur only comes out on Feb. 29.
From Seattle Times • Feb. 29, 2024
Satirical singer Weird Al Yankovic described Jaffee as one of his "all-time heroes".
From BBC • Apr. 11, 2023
Satirical images often focused on the excessive hubris of the French court and the eventual dismantling of royal wealth.
From Salon • Jun. 4, 2022
Satirical observation of manners, and especially of the current political and social follies of the day, is what he can do best, and in this peculiar line he has few equals.
From A Short History of French Literature by Saintsbury, George
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.
