This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
satire
[ sat-ahyuhr ]
/ ˈsæt aɪər /
See the most commonly confused word associated with satire
Save This Word!
This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
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?
a genre of literature, art, or entertainment comprising such works:The eighteenth century is considered British literature’s golden age of satire.
COMPARE MEANINGS
Click for a side-by-side comparison of meanings. Use the word comparison feature to learn the differences between similar and commonly confused words.
OTHER WORDS FOR satire
QUIZ
WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?
Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!
Question 1 of 7
Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.
Origin of satire
First recorded in 1500–10; from Latin satira, variant of satura “medley,” perhaps feminine derivative of satur “sated” (see saturate)
synonym study for satire
1. See irony1. 2, 3. 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.
OTHER WORDS FROM satire
non·sat·ire, nounWords nearby satire
satin stitch, satin walnut, satin weave, satinwood, satiny, satire, satirical, satirist, satirize, satisfaction, satisfactory
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022
How to use satire in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for satire
satire
/ (ˈsætaɪə) /
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
Word Origin for satire
C16: from Latin satira a mixture, from satur sated, from satis enough
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Cultural definitions for satire
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.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.