1Originally US. Originally: designating an address delivered by the U.S. President, giving the administration's view of the condition of the nation; (now also) designating a similar address delivered by the head of state of any of a number of nations.

2Chiefly British. Designating a work of fiction, drama, etc., of a type thought to reflect, satirize, or comment on the society in which it is written, typically having a contemporary setting and characters drawn from a wide spectrum of social backgrounds.