AP language terms Flashcards
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| 3726204491 | absolute a word free from limitations or qualifications | 0 | ||
| 3726204493 | adage a familiar proverb or wise saying | 1 | ||
| 3726204495 | ad hominem argument attacking a character rather than their position | 2 | ||
| 3726204497 | allegory literary work where characters, objects, or actions represent abstractions (an extended metaphor) | 3 | ||
| 3726204499 | alliteration the repetition of initial sounds in successive or neighboring words | 4 | ||
| 3726204501 | allusion a reference to something literary, mythological, or historical that the author assumes the reader knows | 5 | ||
| 3726204505 | anaphora the repetition of words or phrases at the beginning of consecutive lines or sentences | 6 | ||
| 3726204507 | anecdote a brief narrative that focuses on a particular incident or event | 7 | ||
| 3726204509 | antecedent the word, phrase or clause to which a pronoun refers | 8 | ||
| 3726204511 | antithesis a statement in which two opposing ideas are balanced in parallel structure | 9 | ||
| 3726204513 | aphorism a concise statement that expresses succinctly a general truth or idea, often using rhyme or balance | 10 | ||
| 3726204515 | apostrophe a figure of speech in which one directly addresses an absent or imaginary person, or some abstraction | 11 | ||
| 3726204517 | archetype a detail, image, or character type that occurs frequently in literature and myth | 12 | ||
| 3726204519 | argument a statement of the meaning or main point of a literary work | 13 | ||
| 3726204521 | asyndeton a construction in which elements are presented in a series without conjunctions | 14 | ||
| 3726204523 | balanced sentence a sentence in which words, phrases, or clauses are set off against each other to emphasize contrast | 15 | ||
| 3726204525 | chiasmus a statement consisting of two parallel parts in which the second part is structurally reversed | 16 | ||
| 3726204527 | cliché an expression that has been overused to the extent that its freshness has worn off | 17 | ||
| 3726204529 | colloquialism informal words or expressions not usually acceptable in formal writing a word free from limitations or qualifications | 18 | ||
| 3726204531 | complex sentence a sentence with one independent clause and at least one dependent clause | 19 | ||
| 3726204533 | compound sentence a sentence with two or more coordinate independent clauses, often joined by one or more conjunctions | 20 | ||
| 3726204535 | conceit a fanciful, particularly clever extended metaphor | 21 | ||
| 3726204537 | concrete details details that relate to or describe actual, specific things or events | 22 | ||
| 3726204539 | connotation the implied or associative meaning of a word | 23 | ||
| 3726204541 | cumulative sentence a sentence in which the main independent clause is elaborated by the successive addition of modifying clauses or phrase | 24 | ||
| 3726204543 | declarative sentence a sentence that makes a statement or declaration | 25 | ||
| 3726204545 | deductive reasoning when a conclusion is reached by stating a general principle and the applying that principle to a specific case | 26 | ||
| 3726204547 | denotation the literal meaning of a word | 27 | ||
| 3726204549 | dialect a variety of speech characterized by its own particular grammar or pronunciation, often associated with a particular geographical region | 28 | ||
| 3726204551 | dialogue conversation between two or more people | 29 | ||
| 3726204553 | diction the word choices made by a writer | 30 | ||
| 3726204555 | didactic having the primary purpose of teaching or instructing | 31 | ||
| 3726204557 | dissonance harsh, inharmonious, or discordant sounds | 32 | ||
| 3726204559 | ellipsis the omission of a word or phrase which is grammatically necessary but can be removed from the sentence | 33 | ||
| 3726204561 | epigram a brief, pithy, and often paradoxical saying | 34 | ||
| 3726204563 | epigraph a saying or statement on the title of a work, or used as a heading for a chapter or other section of a work | 35 | ||
| 3726204565 | eulogy a formal speech praising a person who has died | 36 | ||
| 3726204567 | euphemism an indirect, less offensive way of saying something that is considered unpleasant | 37 | ||
| 3726204569 | exclamatory sentence a sentence expressing strong feeling, usually punctuated with an exclamation mark | 38 | ||
| 3726204571 | expletive an interjection to lend emphasis, sometimes, a profanity | 39 | ||
| 3726204573 | figurative language language employing one or more figures of speech (simile, metaphor, imagery, etc.) | 40 | ||
| 3726204575 | genre a major category or type of literature | 41 | ||
| 3726204577 | homily a sermon, or a moralistic lecture | 42 | ||
| 3726204579 | hyperbole intentional exaggeration to create an effect | 43 | ||
| 3726204581 | hypothetical question a question that raises a hypothesis and, conjecture, or supposition | 44 | ||
| 3726204583 | idiom an expression in a given language that cannot be understood from the literal meaning of the words in the expression | 45 | ||
| 3726204585 | imagery the use of figures of speech to create vivid images that appeal to one of the senses | 46 | ||
| 3726204587 | implication a conclusion one draws based on premises or evidence | 47 | ||
| 3726204589 | inductive reasoning deriving general principles from particular facts or instances | 48 | ||
| 3726204591 | inference a suggestion an author or speaker makes without stating it directly | 49 | ||
| 3726204593 | invective an intensely vehement, highly emotional verbal attack | 50 | ||
| 3726204595 | irony incongruity between what is expected and what actually occurs | 51 | ||
| 3726204597 | jargon the specialized language or vocabulary of a particular group or profession | 52 | ||
| 3726204599 | juxtaposition placing two elements side by side to present a comparison or contrast | 53 | ||
| 3726204601 | litotes a type of understatement in which an idea is expressed by negating its opposite | 54 | ||
| 3726204603 | malapropism the mistaken substitution of one word for another | 55 | ||
| 3726204605 | maxim a concise statement, often offering advice; an adage | 56 | ||
| 3726204607 | metaphor a direct comparison of two different things | 57 | ||
| 3726204609 | metonymy substituting the name of one object for another object closely associated with it | 58 | ||
| 3726204611 | mood the emotional atmosphere of a work | 59 | ||
| 3726204613 | motif a standard theme, element, or dramatic situation that recurs in various works | 60 | ||
| 3726204614 | narrative a story or narrated account | 61 | ||
| 3726204615 | narrator the one who tells the story; may be first- or third-person, limited or omniscient | 62 | ||
| 3726204616 | non sequitur an inference that does not follow logically from the premises | 63 | ||
| 3726204617 | onomatopoeia a word formed from the imitation of natural sounds | 64 | ||
| 3726204618 | oxymoron an expression in which two words that contradict each other are joined | 65 | ||
| 3726204619 | parable a simple story that illustrates a moral or religious lesson | 66 | ||
| 3726204620 | paradox an apparently contradictory statement that actually contains some truth | 67 | ||
| 3726204621 | parallelism the use of corresponding grammatical or syntactical forms | 68 | ||
| 3726223683 | propiganda | persuasion techniques | 69 | |
| 3726204622 | paraphrase a restatement of a text in a different form or in different words, often for the purpose of clarity | 70 | ||
| 3726204623 | parody a humorous imitation of a serious work | 71 | ||
| 3726204624 | parenthetical a comment that interrupts the immediate subject, often to qualify or explain | 72 | ||
| 3726204625 | pathos the quality of a work that prompts the reader to feel emotion | 73 | ||
| 3726204626 | pedantic characterized by an excessive display of learning or scholarship | 74 | ||
| 3726204627 | personification endowing non-human objects or creatures with human qualities or characteristics | 75 | ||
| 3726204628 | point of view the vantage point from which a story is told | 76 | ||
| 3726204629 | polysyndeton the use, for rhetorical effect, of more conjunctions than is necessary or natural | 77 | ||
| 3726204630 | pun a play on words, often achieved through the use of words with similar sounds but different meanings | 78 | ||
| 3726204631 | rhetoric the art of presenting ideas in a clear, effective, and persuasive manner | 79 | ||
| 3726204632 | rhetorical question a question asked merely for rhetorical effect and not requiring an answer | 80 | ||
| 3726204633 | rhetorical devices literary techniques used to heighten the effectiveness of expression | 81 | ||
| 3726204634 | riddle a question requiring thought to answer or understand | 82 | ||
| 3726204635 | sarcasm harsh, cutting language or tone intended to ridicule | 83 | ||
| 3726204636 | satire the use of humor to emphasize human weaknesses or imperfections in social institutions | 84 | ||
| 3726204637 | simile a comparison of two things using like, as or other specifically comparative words | 85 | ||
| 3726204638 | simple sentence a sentence consisting of one independent clause and no dependent clause | 86 | ||
| 3726204639 | structure the arrangement or framework of a sentence, paragraph, or entire work | 87 | ||
| 3726204640 | style the combination of distinctive features of a literary work | 88 | ||
| 3726204641 | syllogism a three part deductive argument in which a conclusion is based on a major premise and a minor premise | 89 | ||
| 3726204642 | symbol an object that is used to represent something else | 90 | ||
| 3726204643 | synecdoche using one part of an object to represent the entire object | 91 | ||
| 3726204644 | syntax the manner in which words are arranged into sentences | 92 | ||
| 3726204645 | theme a central idea of a work | 93 | ||
| 3726204646 | thesis the primary position taken by a writer or speaker | 94 | ||
| 3726204647 | tone the attitude of a writer, usually implied, toward the subject or audience | 95 | ||
| 3726204648 | trite overused and hackneyed | 96 | ||
| 3726204649 | understatement the deliberate representation of something as lesser in magnitude than it actually is; a deliberate under-emphasis | 97 | ||
| 3726204650 | usage the customary way language or its elements are used | 98 | ||
| 3726204651 | vernacular the everyday speech of a particular country or region, often involving nonstandard usage | 99 |