What Is Satire

The formal definition of satire is “the use of humour, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people’s stupidity or vices.” It is an extremely broad category. The most satires are humorous, ironic, and exaggerated, but necessarily they have to make fun of a person, idea, or institution and its purpose is not just to entertain, but also to inform or make people think.