AP Language Vocabulary Flashcards

7240115109	antithesis	juxtaposition of opposite ideas (especially in parallel structure) to emphasize their differences	0
7240123052	anecdote	a brief story	1
7240125172	ambiguity	lack of clarity in writing, leaving more than one correct interpretation possible	2
7240128373	allusion	referring to another work of literature, an event in history, art, etc. outside of the current work.	3
7240132271	abstract	somethign that exists only as an idea	4
7240136476	appeal to authority	author claims to be the authority on a topic or cites someone who is an authority (a false appeal to authority is an appeal to a non-authority - e.x. citing something your mom said to you to prove...)	5
7240140286	author's purpose	the reason an author writes; three most common reasons are to entertain, to inform, or to persuade.	6
7240141395	didactic	intending to teach, or preach (usually not good - unless you're writing a homily)	7
7240146449	analogy	a comparison where one object is compared to another that is unlike it (simile, metaphor, hyperbole)	8
7240148470	antecedent	the noun to which a pronoun refers (subjects and pronouns need to be consistent in tense)	9
7273111438	aphorism	a short saying of wisdom, making a point ("don't leave 'til tomorrow what can be done today")	10
7273111439	clause	a group of words with a subject and a verb - can be dependent or independent	11
7273111440	cliche	anything that is so overused that it is no longer original ("strong as an ox," "busy as a bee")	12
7273111753	colloquialism	the use of informal words, phrases, slang, etc. to create realism.	13
7273111754	concrete	something that is able to be seen and touched	14
7273111755	connotation	the suggested or implied meaning of a word or phrase (opposite of denotation)	15
7273111756	contemplative	thoughtful, reflective	16
7273112135	convey	to communicate a thought, feeling, or idea so that others can understand.	17
7273112136	deductive	top-down logic, where specifics are drawn from the general principle (e.x. all women are bad drivers, you are a woman, thus you are a bad driver)	18
7273112137	denotation	the dictionary definition of a word	19
7324070346	device	a technique (a tool) an author uses to produce a special effect in his writing (e.x. simile, flashback, analogy)	20
7324072870	diction	an author's word choice (should serve purpose)	21
7324074630	elegiac	(adjective) lamenting the death of someone or something valuable (e.x. "O Captain! My Captain!")	22
7324080114	euphemism	a mild or less negative word used in place of a harsh or blunt term (political correctness)	23
7324083439	excerpt	a passage or quotation taken from a book, play, etc.	24
7324085779	expository	(adjective) explaining or describing information, rather than telling a story or sharing emotion (like in poetry or fiction)	25
7324089720	extended metaphor/extended simile	a comparison made more than once, continues over several sentences, compares multiple similar points	26
7324094547	figures of speech	imply meaning instead of literally saying it (e.x. metaphor, simile, personification)	27
7324097982	footnote	an explanatory comment at the bottom of a page, referring to a specific part of the text	28
7324100398	homily	a sermon or lecture on a religious or moral theme meant to guide human behavior	29
7557661106	hyperbole	overstatement; gross exaggeration for rhetorical effect	30
7557681305	hypothetical example	a fictional example used to explain a more complicated idea; puts the idea into understandable terms (e.x. the examples from Singer's Solution to Poverty essay)	31
7557720825	illustrate/illustrative	explain or make something clear using examples, charts, pictures, etc./serving as an example or explanation	32
7557720826	imagery	the use of images	33
7557726006	inference	a conclusion arrived at by considering facts, observations, or some other specific data	34
7557734392	invective	a verbal attack on someone (instead of a diatribe, it is directly addressed to them) a denunciation; casting blame on someone or something ("How could you forget to []? How could you be so thoughtless, and careless? I can't BELIEVE this.")	35
7557739649	irony (especially verbal)	(verbal) saying the opposite of what you mean, (irony in general) the result is opposite of what is expected	36
7557754070	jargon	specific words or phrases used by a group of people; difficult for people outside that group to understand (e.x. legal jargon)	37
7557791443	juxtaposition	placing two things opposite to each other to emphasize the difference between them	38
7557803387	lyrical	personal, reflective prose that reveals the speaker's thoughts and feelings about the subject	39
7632826527	metaphor	figure of speech comparing unlike objects, does not use like or as (metaphorical allusion - comparing someone to a person, place, thing - e.x. call someone a "Hercules")	40
7632826528	mood	the emotional tone or atmosphere of writing (2nd definition - in grammar, mood refers to intent of sentence)	41
7632826529	narrative	a form of verse/prose that tells a story	42
7632826530	oxymoron	term consisting of contradictory elements juxtaposed to create a paradoxical effect, (e.x. loud silence, bittersweet)	43
7632827868	paradox/paradoxical	a statement that seems self-contradictory but is nevertheless true, (e.x. "this is the beginning of the end," "less is more," "I can resist anything but temptation")	44
7632827869	parallelism/parallel structure	the structure required for expressing two or more grammatical elements of equal rank	45
7632827870	pedantic	someone who is concerned with precision, minute details, etc. in order to appear intelligent	46
7632829323	personification	a figure of speech in which objects/animals are given human characteristics	47
7632829324	point of view	the perspective writing is written from: 1st person - I, me, my, we (personal and intimate) 3rd person - he, she, they (formal and distant) 2nd person - you, your (draws reader into writing)	48
7632829325	prosaic	characteristic of prose as distinguished from poetry (factual, dull, commonplace)	49
7632933612	prose	any discourse that is not poetry	50
7632933613	pun	a humorous play on words, using similar-sounding or identical words to suggest different meanings	51
7632939230	purpose	One's intention or objective in a speech or piece of writing	52
7632939231	qualify	to modify, limit, or restrict, by listing exceptions or reservations (strengthens your argument)	53
7632940890	rebuttal	part of your argument where you address/anticipate/negate the counterargument	54
7632940891	refute/refutation	to negate opposing arguments, using contradicting evidence ("no, you're wrong, and here's why...")	55
7632942916	rhetoric/rhetorical strategy/rhetorical purpose	the language and style that an author/speaker chooses. If well chosen, should further the author/speaker's purpose and "serve the argument."	56
7632942917	sarcasm	a sharp, caustic attitude conveyed in words through jibes, taunts, or other remarks (sarcasm differs from irony, which is more subtle)	57
7632942918	satire/satirical/satirize	a literary style used to poke fun at, attack, or ridicule an idea, vice, or foible, often for the purpose of inducing change	58
7632944366	solecism	a stylistic device where writing intentionally violates correct grammatical rules	59
7783001475	stance	the position an author takes	60
7783001476	style/stylistic	the manner in which an author uses and arranges words, shapes, ideas, forms sentences, and creates a structure to convey ideas	61
7783001477	subordinate clause	a clause that is dependent on the main clause; less important than the independent clause	62
7783001478	symbol	an object that evokes ideas and associations not literally part of the original object	63
7783003435	syntax/syntactical	the organization of language into meaningful structure; every sentence has a syntax, or pattern of words	64
7783003436	tone	the author's attitude toward the subject being written about - could be indignant, angry, bitter, elated, cautious, ambivalent (!), contemplative/reflective, ambiguous.	65
7783003437	understatement	a restrained statement that departs from what could be said; a studied avoidance of emphasis or exaggeration, often to create a particular effect	66
7783003438	wit	the ability to quickly make brilliant/humorous comments	67
7783005854	allegory	a story where characters/events stand for something else; the story has a second meaning beneath the surface	68
7783005855	alliteration	the repetition of one or more initial consonants in a group of words	69
7860278154	anticlimax	a disappointing situation; a moment when expectations are high, but the discourse instead shifts to something boring or trivial	70
7860281706	assertion	a strong, forceful declaration that something is true (in an essay, your thesis) Unqualified assertion - stated as unequivocally true (always true) Qualified assertion - expresses a level of uncertainty, limits the assertion (the one you want to write!)	71
7860288183	apostrophe	a speaker addresses something/someone that is not present (usually in poetry)	72
7860291902	climax	the point in a narrative where the conflict/tension reaches its highest point; the turning point where the rising action transitions into falling action	73
7860294092	conceit	a figure of speech comparing two vastly different objects; creates surprise/shock in the reader	74
7860297644	counterexample	an examples that disproves a previous claim (instead of supporting examples, these tear down the argument)	75
7860301563	cynicism	a pessimistic view of humanity, thinking that humans will not make ethical choices, that humans are generally bad, etc.	76
7860305053	diatribe	a long, violent, bitter criticism of someone/something, pointing out all its weaknesses and failings ("I hate cats. They're so ugly, and snooty, and they pee on everything, and they scratch you and poop in smelly litterboxes...")	77
7860308200	digression	a temporary departure from the main topic; getting "off track," often provides more background information	78
7860311225	dogma/dogmatic	principles laid down by an authority as undeniably true (synonyms: teaching, belief, principle, maxim), dogmatic - inclined to lay down your beliefs as absolutely true	79
7933118034	enumerate	to list out items or details one-by-one; creates emphasis	80
7933120284	enunciate	to pronounce words clearly and articulately; or to state/declare a theory	81
7933123930	epilogue	opposite of a prologue; a chapter at the end of a work of literature concluding the work (unlike an afterword, it is narrated by a character in the story and does not address the readers directly)	82
7933129881	epiphany	a moment when a character has a realization suddenly, achieving new awareness/knowledge that changes how he/she view the world (an "ah-ha" moment)	83
7933134592	ethos	refers to the credibility of a person as a means of persuading others	84
7933137581	fallacy	an error in logic, faulty reasoning resulting in a faulty conclusion, (examples) Ad Hominem - instead of countering the opponent's view, you attack your opponent personally Non sequitur - a conclusion/statement that does not flow logically from the previous argument or statement (Because trans fats are bad for you, we ought to only eat fruits and vegetables) Red Herring - distracting the audience with evidence that seems relevant but actually is not Straw man argument - misrepresenting the opponent's view	85
7933162311	farce	a lighthearted comedy centering around a ridiculous, exaggerated plot (e.x. Importance of Being Earnest)	86
7933165879	genre	a type of literature characterized by a specific style or form; literature genres include: poetry, drama (plays), prose, fiction, and non-fiction	87
7933174713	imperative mood	a grammatical mood forming a command or request	88
7933177317	inversion	also called anastrophe, reverses the normal order of words (could place the adjective after the noun it modifies, place a verb before its noun, or place a noun before its preposition)	89
8063231543	logos	the use of logic to support a claim	90
8063235319	metonomy	figure of speech using the name of one thing to represent something it's closely related to (the white house says...)	91
8063239377	simile	a comparison using "like" or "as"	92
8063242125	onomatopoeia	words that sound like their meaning ("buzz," "crash," "whoosh," "bang,")	93
8063246887	parody	an imitation of a work meant to ridicule its style and subject	94
8063249525	pathos	an emotional appeal meant to persuade the audience, weak and often "polarizing"	95
8063253024	periodic sentences	a sentence not in the usual order of English sentences; puts the verb/predicate at the end of the sentence, after particulars are listed first (its purpose can be to persuade, by showing reasons before the conclusion) (example: Of all the boys it could have been, of all the people it could have been, it was the one person she most wanted to see, George.)	96
8063267138	prepositional phrase	preposition, modifiers, object of preposition	97
8063271695	semantics	the studyof how language is used figuratively and literally to create meaning	98
8063276677	syllogism	a rhetorical device that draws a specific conclusion from a general principle (example: All men are mortal, John is a man, John must be mortal)	99
8063280252	theme	a unifying or dominant idea; a topic (e.x. love, hate, war, peace)	100
8268709262	treatise	a written work dealing formally and systematically with a subject (longer and more detailed than an essay)	101
8268723508	ballad	a poem/song narrating a story in short stanzas; traditionally passed down orally	102
8268769313	chiasmus	two clauses are balanced against each other by inverted their orders (e.x. "one should eat to live, not live to eat")	103
8268786383	liotes	a form of understatement that uses a double negative, function - adds emphasis by catching attention ("it's not unclean)	104
8268795511	meter	the pattern of stressed/unstressed syllables in a line of poetry; the rhythm of a poem	105
8268800675	synecdoche	using the part to represent the whole, (Give us this day our daily bread: bread, part, represents food, whole, or the three dresses waltzed into the room: dresses, part, represent whole, girls Or Whole to represent Part (e.x. The United States won gold at the Olympics - United States (whole) represents U.S. Team (part), the ship was in dismay: ship (whole) represents crew members (part)	106
8268815665	anachronism	using someone/something in the wrong time period (Shakespeare's putting clocks in Julius Caesar)	107
8268821810	anaphora	the repetition of a word/clause at the beginning of a sentence, adds emphasis (I have a dream)	108
8268827019	assonance	repeating vowel sounds	109
8268827020	consonance	repeating consonant sounds within words (different from alliteration)	110
8268831501	epigraph	a short note at the beginning of a poem or literary work (e.x. "Lawyers, I suppose, were children once" - TKAM epigraph)	111
8925027565	acerbic	a sharp, sarcastic, biting, ironic, critical tone (tone used in a satire)	112
8925038313	dogma/dogmatic	the official "rules" and principles regarding religion, faith, etc., generally unquestioned beliefs / expressing one's views as if they are official dogma (saying "I'm right, and I only can be right and I am 100% infallibly right")	113
9835176111	facetious	inappropriately playful	114
9835186303	patronizing	pretending to be kind-hearted but actually being condescending ("ah, it's alright, we all make mistakes sometimes," could be a patronizing statement)	115