satire

See also: Satire

English

Satire often takes the form of drawn art, like in this early 19th century cartoon

Etymology

From Middle French satire, from Old French, from Latin satira, from earlier satura, from lanx satura (full dish), from feminine of satur. Altered in Latin by influence of Ancient Greek σάτυρος (sáturos, satyr), on the mistaken notion that the form is related to the Greek σατυρικόν δράμα (saturikón dráma, satyr drama).

Pronunciation

  • (General American) IPA(key): /ˈsætaɪɹ/
  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈsætaɪə/
  • (file)
  • Hyphenation: sat‧ire
  • Rhymes: -aɪə(ɹ)

Noun

satire (countable and uncountable, plural satires)

  1. (uncountable) A literary device of writing or art which principally ridicules its subject often as an intended means of provoking or preventing change or highlighting a shortcoming in the work of another. Imitation, humor, irony, and exaggeration are often used to aid this.
  2. (countable) A satirical work.
    a stinging satire of American politics.
  3. (uncountable, dated) Severity of remark.
    • 1898, George Bernard Shaw, Caesar and Cleopatra:
      CAESAR. No, by the gods! would that it had been! Vengeance at least is human. No, I say: those severed right hands, and the brave Vercingetorix basely strangled in a vault beneath the Capitol, were (with shuddering satire) a wise severity, a necessary protection to the commonwealth, a duty of statesmanship—follies and fictions ten times bloodier than honest vengeance!

Usage notes

Often confused with parody, which does not necessarily have an element of social change.

Derived terms

Translations

Further reading

Anagrams

Danish

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /satiːrə/, [saˈtˢiːɐ]

Noun

satire c (singular definite satiren, plural indefinite satirer)

  1. satire

Inflection

Further reading

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from French satire, German Satire or Latin satira, from Latin satur but influenced by Ancient Greek σάτυρος (sáturos).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˌsaːˈtiː.rə/
  • (file)
  • Hyphenation: sa‧ti‧re
  • Rhymes: -iːrə

Noun

satire f (plural satires or satiren)

  1. A satire.

Derived terms

French

Etymology

From Middle French satire, from Old French, from Latin satira, from earlier satura.

Pronunciation

  • (file)

Noun

satire f (plural satires)

  1. satire

Further reading

Italian

Noun

satire f

  1. plural of satira

Anagrams

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

From Latin satura, satira.

Noun

satire m (definite singular satiren, indefinite plural satirer, definite plural satirene)

  1. satire

Derived terms

References

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

From Latin satura, satira.

Noun

satire m (definite singular satiren, indefinite plural satirar, definite plural satirane)

  1. satire

Derived terms

References

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