AP Lang Terms

Allegory

A story/device where characters or events symbolically represent an abstract idea, such as hope or freedom.

Alliteration

Repetition of sounds, especially beginning consonant sounds in nearby words.

Allusion

A direct or indirect reference to a well-known event, book, myth, place, or artwork.

Ambiguity

A word, phrase, sentence, or passage with multiple possible meanings.

Analogy

A comparison between two different things to explain or highlight a similarity.

Anaphora

Repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of multiple lines, clauses, or sentences.

Anecdote

A short story about an interesting event, often from someone's life.

Antecedent

The word, phrase, or clause that a pronoun refers to.

Aphorism

A short statement by a known author expressing a general truth or moral principle.

Apostrophe

Directly addressing an absent, imaginary, or personified person/thing that cannot respond.

Atmosphere

The emotional mood created by a literary work, often through setting and description.

Chiasmus

Repetition of words or ideas in reverse order.

Clause

A group of words containing a subject and verb; it can be independent or dependent.

Colloquial

Informal or conversational language, including slang or regional expressions.

Coherence

The clear and logical arrangement of ideas so the overall meaning is easy to understand.

Conceit

An extended, unusual, or clever comparison between seemingly unrelated things.

Connotation

The implied or emotional meaning associated with a word.

Denotation

The literal, dictionary definition of a word.

Diction

A writer's choice of words and how those choices affect style and purpose.

Didactic

Designed to teach, especially a moral or ethical lesson.

Euphemism

A less offensive or unpleasant substitute for a harsh or uncomfortable word.

Exposition

Writing that explains something; in drama, introductory material that establishes setting, characters, tone, and conflict.

Extended Metaphor

A metaphor developed and continued throughout a significant portion of a work.

Figurative Language

Language that is not meant literally and is used to create vivid or imaginative meaning.

Figure of Speech

A literary device that creates figurative meaning, often by comparing different things.

Generic Conventions

The traditional features and characteristics expected within a particular genre.

Genre

The major category of a literary work, such as prose, poetry, or drama.

Homily

A serious speech or lecture that gives moral or spiritual advice; originally meaning sermon.

Hyperbole

Deliberate exaggeration or overstatement, often for emphasis or humor.

Imagery

Descriptive language that appeals to the senses or creates mental pictures and emotions.

Inference

A reasonable conclusion drawn from information that is presented.

Invective

Strong, abusive, or emotionally intense verbal attack or criticism.

Irony

A contrast between what is stated/expected and what is actually meant or happens.

Juxtaposition

Placing two things side by side to highlight their similarities or differences.

Loose Sentence

A sentence where the main idea comes first, followed by additional phrases or clauses.

Metaphor

An implied comparison between seemingly unlike things.

Metonymy

Replacing the name of something with another term closely associated with it.

Narrative

The telling of a story or series of events.

Onomatopoeia

Words that imitate natural sounds, such as buzz, hiss, or crack.

Oxymoron

Combining apparently contradictory terms to create a meaningful effect.

Paradox

A statement that seems contradictory but contains some truth or validity.

Parallelism

Using similar grammatical structures to create emphasis, organization, or rhythm.

Parody

A humorous imitation of another work, style, or content, often to ridicule it.

Pedantic

Overly scholarly, academic, or bookish in language or tone.

Periodic Sentence

A sentence where the main idea comes at the end, creating emphasis and suspense.

Personification

Giving human qualities, emotions, or actions to animals, objects, or abstract ideas.

Point of View

The perspective from which a story is told, such as first person or third person.

Prose

Written language in fiction or nonfiction that is not structured as poetry.

Repetition

The repeated use of a sound, word, phrase, sentence, or grammatical pattern.

Rhetoric

The art and principles of effective, persuasive, and eloquent communication.

Rhetorical Modes

Different purposes/types of writing: exposition, argumentation, description, and narration.

Sarcasm

Bitter or mocking language intended to hurt, ridicule, or make fun of someone or something.

Satire

Writing that uses humor or criticism to expose and ridicule human flaws or social problems.

Semantics

The study of word meanings and how words relate to each other.

Style

The overall effect of an author's choices in diction, syntax, figurative language, and other devices.

Subordinate Clause

A clause with a subject and verb that cannot stand alone and depends on a main clause.

Syllogism

A logical argument using two premises that lead to a conclusion.

Symbolism

Using a concrete object, action, character, or scene to represent an abstract idea.

Syntax

The way an author arranges words into phrases, clauses, and sentences.

Theme

The central idea, message, or insight about life in a work.

Thesis

A statement that directly expresses an author's main position, purpose, or argument.

Tone

The author's attitude toward the subject, audience, or both.

Transition

A word or phrase that connects ideas and signals a shift between them.

Understatement

Making something seem less important or serious than it really is, often for humor or emphasis.

Undertone

An underlying attitude or meaning beneath the main tone of a work.

Wit

Intellectually clever and amusing language that surprises or entertains.

Zeugma

Using one word to modify or govern two or more words, even when it fits them differently.