AP World History - Summer Vocabulary 1-25

abdicate

to formally give up a high office or position, especially a throne or other position of power.

agrarian

related to farming, agriculture, or the use of land for growing crops and raising animals.

animism

A belief system that sees spirits or sacred forces in animals, plants, and natural objects. Often practiced in early or indigenous societies.

appeasement

Giving in to the demands of an aggressor to avoid conflict. For example, Britain’s policy toward Nazi Germany before WWII.

aristocracy

A ruling class made up of nobles or people of high social rank, often based on birth.

artisan

A skilled worker who makes goods by hand, such as a potter, weaver, or blacksmith.

asceticism

A lifestyle of self-denial and simplicity, often for religious or spiritual reasons.

assimilate

To absorb or blend into another culture, often adopting its language, customs, or beliefs.

authoritarian

A form of government that concentrates power in one leader or a small group, with limited personal freedoms.

autocracy

A government where one person has unlimited power and makes all major decisions.

bourgeois

The middle class, especially in economic or cultural terms, often associated with material wealth.

bureaucracy

A system of government with many officials and departments that carry out laws and policies.

cartography

The science and practice of making maps.

censorship

The control or suppression of information, speech, or art by a government or authority.

centralized government

A political system where power is concentrated in a single central authority.

coerced labor

Work that people are forced to do under threat or without fair pay, such as slavery or serfdom.

clergy

Religious leaders or officials, such as priests, monks, or ministers.

colony

A territory controlled and ruled by another country, often far away.

commerce

the activity of buying and selling goods and services, especially on a large scale.

concubine

A woman in a recognized but lower-status relationship with a man, often in royal or elite households.

conscription

Mandatory enlistment of people into the military, also called a draft.

coup

A sudden, often violent, takeover of a government by a small group.

divine right

The belief that a ruler’s authority comes directly from God.

decentralized government

A political system where power is spread across local or regional governments rather than concentrated in one authority.

demographic

Information about the population, such as age, gender, ethnicity, or growth rates.