satire

The use of humor to criticize people, ideas, or society and show their faults.

• The show uses satire to criticize politicians.
• Her writing combines satire with serious social criticism.
• Do you enjoy political satire?

Common phrases: political satire, social satire, use satire, literary satire

A story, play, film, or other work that uses humor to criticize its subject.

• The film is a satire of modern politics.
• She wrote a biting satire on university life.
• His early satires made fun of wealthy families.

How to use it: satire on something (The novel is a satire on office life.); satire of something (The film is a satire of celebrity culture.)

Common phrases: a political satire, satire on something, satire of something