Satirical means using humor, irony, or exaggeration to point out foolishness, bad behavior, or problems in society. When something is satirical, it's making fun of something in a clever way that also makes a serious point.

Political cartoons are often satirical: they might draw a politician with an enormous nose to mock their dishonesty, or show them as a tiny figure to suggest they're powerless. The humor draws attention to real issues while entertaining.

Books can be satirical too. Animal Farm by George Orwell tells the story of farm animals who rebel against their farmer, but it's really satirizing the Russian Revolution and how power corrupts leaders. Orwell used talking pigs and horses to criticize real political problems.

When you watch a comedy show that makes fun of how people act at school assemblies or how certain types of movies always follow the same predictable plot, that's satire. The creators are using humor to highlight something they think is silly or wrong.

Satirical differs from just being mean or making random jokes. Good satire is witty and thoughtful, using comedy as a tool to make people think differently about something serious. A satirical writer might exaggerate a problem to help readers see it more clearly.