Added 9 October 2026
caricature
/ˈkɛɹɪkət͡ʃʊɚ/ noun
Latin root: carrus Wiktionary
noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about caricature at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- A pictorial representation of someone in which distinguishing features are exaggerated for comic effect.
- A grotesque misrepresentation.
- In facial recognition systems, a face that has been modified to look less like the average face, and thus more distinctive.
adjective
- Having the characteristics of a caricature, grotesque.
verb
- To represent someone in an exaggerated or distorted manner.
Origin
Borrowed from French caricature, from Italian caricatùra, ultimately from Latin carrus, and so not related to character, which is instead ultimately from Ancient Greek χαρακτήρ (kharaktḗr, “type, nature, character”).
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)