satire

noun

sat·​ire ˈsa-ˌtī(-ə)r 

1

: a literary work holding up human vices and follies to ridicule or scorn

2

: trenchant wit, irony, or sarcasm used to expose and discredit vice or folly

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The Culinary Roots of Satire

Satire came into English at the beginning of the 16th century, and the meaning of the word has not strayed very far from its original sense. The initial uses were primarily applied to poems, and the term now has a broader applicability. Satire has a semantic and etymological overlap with both farce and lampoon. Farce ("a light dramatic composition marked by broadly satirical comedy and improbable plot") came into English as a synonym for forcemeat, meaning "finely chopped and highly seasoned meat or fish that is either served alone or used as a stuffing." Lampoon  ("a harsh satire usually directed against an individual") is thought to come from the French lampons!, meaning "let us guzzle!" And satire is believed to trace back to the Latin satur, meaning "well-fed."

Synonyms

• lampoon
• pasquinade

Choose the Right Synonym for satire

wit, humor, irony, sarcasm, satire, repartee mean a mode of expression intended to arouse amusement.

wit suggests the power to evoke laughter by remarks showing verbal felicity or ingenuity and swift perception especially of the incongruous.

a playful wit

humor implies an ability to perceive the ludicrous, the comical, and the absurd in human life and to express these usually without bitterness.

a sense of humor

irony applies to a manner of expression in which the intended meaning is the opposite of what is seemingly expressed.

the irony of the title

sarcasm applies to expression frequently in the form of irony that is intended to cut or wound.

given to heartless sarcasm

satire applies to writing that exposes or ridicules conduct, doctrines, or institutions either by direct criticism or more often through irony, parody, or caricature.

a satire on the Congress

repartee implies the power of answering quickly, pointedly, or wittily.

a dinner guest noted for repartee

Examples of satire in a Sentence

By contrast, Martial's friend, Juvenal, learned to transmute Martial's epigrammatic wit into savage satire. Juvenal's fierce, if occasionally obscene, tirades against immorality fit easily into the propaganda of the new era. —G. W. Bowersock, New York Review of Books, 26 Feb. 2009

Unlike late-night talk shows that traffic in Hollywood interviews and stupid pet tricks, "The Daily Show" is a fearless social satire. Not many comedy shows would dare do five minutes on the intricacies of medicare or a relentlessly cheeky piece on President George W. Bush's Thanksgiving trip to Iraq … —Marc Peyser, Newsweek, 29 Dec. 2003 - 5 Jan. 2004

Saturday Night Live alum Bill Murray stars in this film about Army basic training, and it features Second City TV veterans John Candy and Harold Ramis. Director Ivan Reitman co-produced Animal House. Do not, however, expect a devastating satire on the military; this film is so innocuous that the Defense Department let Reitman use Fort Knox, Ky. to make it. —People, 27 July 1981

His movies are known for their use of satire.

The movie is a political satire.

Recent Examples on the Web

The satire is clearly labeled everywhere it is presented. —Nate Trela, USA TODAY, 5 Sep. 2024

Wolfs marks the first time Pitt and Clooney have co-starred in a film since the Coen Brother’s political satire Burn After Reading in 2008. —Patrick Brzeski, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Sep. 2024

Like Anna Wiener’s memoir Uncanny Valley, this essay proves yet again that even the best workplace satire can never live up to the real thing. —Longreads, 30 Aug. 2024

In the award-winning political satire, which aired from 2012 to 2019, Julia Louis-Dreyfus plays politician Selina Meyer, who serves as vice president of the United States in the comedy’s first two seasons. —Elise Taylor, Vogue, 8 Aug. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle French or Latin; Middle French, from Latin satura, satira, perhaps from (lanx) satura dish of mixed ingredients, from feminine of satur well-fed; akin to Latin satis enough — more at sad

First Known Use

1501, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

satire

noun

sat·​ire ˈsa-ˌtī(ə)r 

: something meant to make fun of and show the weaknesses of human nature or a particular person

satiric

sə-ˈtir-ik

adjective

or satirical

-ˈtir-i-kəl

satirically

-i-k(ə-)lē

adverb