New AP Lit Terms List A 2026

A complete set of vocabulary flashcards for the literary terms found in the New AP Lit Terms List A 2026, including voice, rhetorical devices, and specific imagery types.

Active voice

A sentence structure where the subject performs the action expressed by the verb.

Passive voice

A sentence structure where the subject undergoes or receives the action of the verb.

Allusion

An indirect or passing reference to an event, person, place, or artistic work that the writer assumes the reader will recognize.

Anecdote

A brief, often entertaining account of a specific incident or event, frequently used to illustrate a point.

Antecedent

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

Colloquial Language/Colloquialism

The use of informal words, phrases, or slang in a piece of writing, similar to ordinary conversation.

Connotation

The emotional, cultural, or secondary meanings associated with a word beyond its literal definition.

Denotation

The literal, dictionary definition of a word, devoid of any emotional association.

Vernacular

The everyday language or dialect spoken by people in a particular region or country.

Didactic

Literature or language that is intended primarily to instruct or provide moral information.

Pedantic

A tone that is overly scholarly, academic, or bookish, often showing off knowledge in a minute or precise way.

Adage

A traditional saying or proverb that expresses a general truth or common experience.

Allegory

A narrative in which characters, settings, and events stand for abstract ideas or moral qualities.

Aphorism

A concise, pithy statement that contains a general truth or a moral principle.

Euphemism

A mild or indirect word and expression substituted for one considered to be too harsh, blunt, or unpleasant.

Analogy

A comparison between two different things, typically for the purpose of explanation or clarification.

Hyperbole

An intentional and obvious exaggeration used for emphasis or effect.

Idiom

A common expression or figure of speech that cannot be understood from the literal meaning of its individual words.

Metaphor

A figure of speech that makes a direct comparison between two unlike things without using like or as.

Metonymy

A figure of speech in which the name of one object is replaced by the name of something closely associated with it.

Synecdoche

A figure of speech in which a part of something is used to represent the whole, or occasionally the whole for a part.

Simile

A figure of speech that makes a comparison between two unlike things using the words like or as.

Personification

A figure of speech in which human qualities are attributed to an animal, object, or idea.

Foreshadowing

The use of hints or clues in a narrative to suggest future events or outcomes.

Paradox

A statement that appears self-contradictory but may reveal a deeper, underlying truth.

Imagery - olfactory

Descriptive language that appeals to the sense of smell.

Imagery - gustatory

Descriptive language that appeals to the sense of taste.

Imagery - tactile

Descriptive language that appeals to the sense of touch.

Imagery - visual

Descriptive language that appeals to the sense of sight.

Imagery - auditory

Descriptive language that appeals to the sense of hearing.