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satire definition

sat·ire (sa′tīr′)

noun

    1. a literary work in which vices, follies, stupidities, abuses, etc. are held up to ridicule and contempt
    2. such literary works collectively, or the art of writing them
  2. the use of ridicule, sarcasm, irony, etc. to expose, attack, or deride vices, follies, etc.

Etymology: Fr < L satira or satura, satire, poetic medley < (lanx) satura, (dish) of various fruits, prob. < Etr, of Thracian orig.

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

satire Synonyms

satire

n.

  1. The exposing of vice or folly, especially by wit

    mockery, irony, ridicule, caricature; see irony, parody.

  2. A work containing satire, sense 1

    burlesque, parody, lampoon, caricature; see parody. See syn. study at wit.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

satire Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • bite: Tony Husband's page - biting satire from the renowned Private Eye cartoonist.

Preposition: on

  • politics: The play was a satire on politics, poverty and injustice.

Adjective modifier

  • biting: A biting satire on the social aspiration, the play follows two women in their search for respectable husbands.

Modifies a noun

  • boom: Beyond The Fringe is staged and a satire boom begins.

Noun used with modifier

  • television: What - Poliakoff essentially speculates - would have happened had the 1960s boom in television satire arrived a quarter of a century earlier... ?
satire usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

satire quotes

Satire is dependent on strong beliefs, and on strong beliefs wounded.

-Brookner, Anita

I'll publish, right or wrong: Fools are my theme, let satire be my song.

-Rochdale

Difficile est saturam non scribere. It is difficult not to write satire.

-Juvenal full name Decimus Iunius Iuvenalis

satire quotes (more)

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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"satire." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 4 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/satire>

APA Style

satire. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 4th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/satire

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