adjective
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of, relating to, or containing satire
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given to the use of satire
Related Words
See cynical.
Other Word Forms
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nonsatiricadjective
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nonsatiricaladjective
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nonsatiricallyadverb
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nonsatiricalnessnoun
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pseudosatiricaladjective
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pseudosatiricallyadverb
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quasi-satiricaladjective
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quasi-satiricallyadverb
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satiricallyadverb
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satiricalnessnoun
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semisatiricadjective
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semisatiricaladjective
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semisatiricallyadverb
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subsatiricadjective
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subsatiricaladjective
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subsatiricallyadverb
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subsatiricalnessnoun
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unsatiricadjective
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unsatiricaladjective
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unsatiricallyadverb
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unsatiricalnessnoun
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.
Meanwhile the independent producing company Raw Material will launch a new hip hop musical about William Wallace this autumn, having started the year with Scots the Musical, a satirical rave through Scottish history in song.
From BBC • May 24, 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
Now, if a Texas judge approves a proposal by the satirical news site the Onion, he will also be running the right-wing conspiracy website Infowars as a comedy hub.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 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
The satirical magazine Private Eye once printed one of the letters from Biro’s representatives, incidentally, under the memorable heading, “What a pathetic way to make a living”.
From "Eats, Shoots & Leaves" by Author
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.
