AP lang vocab terms summer 25’

Allusion

A reference to a person, place, thing, or idea of historical, cultural, literary, or political significance, often used to enhance meaning.

Anaphora

The repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or sentences, used for emphasis and rhythm.

Antecedent

A grammatical term that refers to a word or phrase that a pronoun refers back to or replaces in a sentence.

Anecdote

A short and interesting story about a real incident or person, often used to illustrate a point.

Asyndeton

The deliberate omission of conjunctions between a series of words or phrases in a sentence, creating a more impactful and concise expression.

Chiasmus

A rhetorical device in which two or more clauses are balanced against each other by the reversal of their structures, often to create a memorable phrase.

Connotation

The associated or secondary meaning of a word, often carrying emotional or cultural implications beyond its literal definition.

Denotation

The literal or primary meaning of a word, without the emotional or cultural associations it may carry.

Diction