A-Z AP Lang Vocabulary

altruism/altruistic

unselfish regard for or devotion to the welfare of others; having or showing an unselfish concern for the welfare of others

balkanize

to break up (a region, a group, etc.) into smaller and often hostile units

cui bono?

To whom is it a benefit?

demagogue

a political leader who appeals to popular prejudices and who makes false claims & promises in order to gain power

exacerbate

to make (something bad or unpleasant) worse

facetious

joking or sarcastic, especially in a way regarded by others as silly, annoying, or inappropriate

gauche

lacking social experience or grace

hoodwink

to deceive by false appearance

imbroglio

an acutely painful or embarrassing misunderstanding

juggernaut

a massive inexorable force, campaign, movement, or object that crushes whatever is in its path

kerfuffle

a disturbance or commotion typically caused by a dispute or conflict

lodestar

one that serves as an inspiration, model, or guide

prelapsarian

the view that God’s decrees of election and reprobation logically preceded the fall of man

postlapsarian

the view that God’s decrees of election and reprobation logically succeeded the decree of the Fall

mirabile dictu

wonderful to tell

nadir

the lowest point of a person or organization

Orwellian

of, relating to, or suggestive of George Orwell or his writings

peripatetic

of, relating to, or given to walking

quid pro quo

something given or received for something else

Rubicon

a bounding or limiting line

snafu

a situation marked by errors or confusion

tinderbox

a potentially explosive place or situation

utopia

a place of ideal perfection especially in laws, government, and social conditions

verisimilitude

the quality or state of having the appearance of truth

wonk

a person preoccupied with arcane details or procedures in a specialized field

xenophobia

fear and hatred of strangers or foreigners or of anything that is strange or foreign

yes-man

a person who agrees with everything that is said

zeitgeist

the general intellectual, moral, and cultural climate of an era