AP Language & Composition Exam Vocabulary Terms

Anecdote

a short amusing or interesting story about a real incident or person.

Juxtaposition

the fact of two things being seen or placed close together with contrasting effect.

Hyperbole

exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally.

Antithesis

a person or thing that is the direct opposite of someone or something else.

Allusion

an implied or indirect reference to a person, event, or thing or to a part of another text.

Parallelism/Parallel Structure

using the same pattern of words to show that two or more ideas have the same level of importance. (EX. I like to jog, paint, eat, and watch movies)

Anaphora (type of repetition)

the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses.

Epistrophe (type of repetition)

the repetition of a word at the end of successive clauses or sentences.

Oxymoron

a figure of speech that combines contradictory words with opposing meanings (EX. awfully good, old news, organized chaos)

Polysyndeton

the use of repeated conjunctions between words or clauses in a sentence to emphasize what's being said. (EX. The boots, and hats, and gloves, and scarfs)

Asyndeton

the omission or absence of a conjunction between parts of a sentence. (EX. Reduce, reuse, recycle)

Zeugma

when you use a word in a sentence once, while conveying two different meanings at the same time. (EX. John and his license expired last week)

Chiasmus

a two part sentence or phrase that "flips" the order of the terms (EX. "Let us never negotiate out of fear, but let us never fear to negotiate")

Euphemism

The substitution of a less negative word or phrase for a harsh or blunt one (EX. under the weather = sick; passed away or kicked the can = died)

Paradox

a self-contradictory statement or argument (seems impossible but makes sense given deeper thought) (EX. Less is more)

Loose sentence

The independent clause/main idea begins the sentence, followed by a series of phrases or clauses that provide details about the main idea. (EX. I was walking outside, sun on my skin, air that smelled of flowers, and my feet dragging amongst the sidewalk.)

Periodic Sentence

Before the main idea, using varying sorts of phrases and clauses, sometimes for the purpose of building suspense an author withholds the main idea/clause of the sentence until the end. (EX. definition is example)

Hortative Sentence

Sentence that encourages (EX. You should write that down)

Vestiges

a trace of something that is disappearing or no longer exists.

Laggard

A person who makes small progress or falls behind others.

Dissident

a person who opposes official policy, especially that of an authoritarian state.

Eschewed

deliberately avoid using; abstain from.

Preconception

a perceived idea or prejudice.

Brash

self-assertive in a rude, noisy, or overbearing way.

Squabble

a noisy quarrel about something petty or trivial.

Ascetic

characterized by or suggesting the practice of severe self-discipline and abstention from all forms of indulgence, typically for religious reasons.

Sluices

wash or rinse freely with a stream or shower of water.

Assailed

make a concerted or violent attack on.

Colloquial

(of language) used in ordinary or familiar conversation; not formal or literary.

Recalcitrant

having (or person with) an obstinately uncooperative attitude toward authority or discipline.

Estuaries

the tidal mouth of a large river, where the tide meets the stream.