AP Lang Terminologies

Metonymy

• Definition: A figure of speech where something is referred to by an associated concept.

• Example: “The crown will decide the nation’s fate.” (Crown = monarchy/king).

Homily

• Definition: A serious speech or lecture that gives moral or spiritual advice.

• Example: A sermon in church urging people to practice forgiveness.

Connotation/Denotation

• Definition: Denotation = literal meaning of a word; Connotation = emotional or cultural associations.

• Example: “Home” (denotation: place you live; connotation: warmth, family, comfort).

Apostrophe

• Definition: Directly addressing an absent person, idea, or inanimate object.

• Example: “O Death, where is thy sting?”

Anaphora

• Definition: Repetition of words/phrases at the beginning of successive clauses.

• Example: “We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields…”

Chiasmus

• Definition: Reversal of grammatical structure in successive phrases.

• Example: “Ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country.”

Pedantic

• Definition: Writing that is overly academic, precise, or “show-offy” with detail.

• Example: An essay that spends two paragraphs explaining the definition of a word instead of making a point.

Antithesis

• Definition: Two opposite ideas placed together for contrast.

• Example: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…”

Loose/Periodic

• Definition: Loose = main idea first, followed by details. Periodic = details first, main idea at the end.

• Example:

  • Loose: “I went to the movies yesterday, bought candy, and shopped at the mall.”

  • Periodic: “After buying candy and shopping at the mall, I went to the movies.”

Bathos

• Definition: An abrupt, often humorous shift from the serious to the trivial.

• Example: “He spent his final hours thinking of his wife, his children, and his dog Spot.”

Prose

• Definition: Ordinary written or spoken language (not poetry).

• Example: Novels, essays, articles.

Synecdoche

• Definition: A figure of speech where a part represents the whole.

• Example: “All hands on deck” (hands = sailors).

Paradox

• Definition: A statement that seems contradictory but reveals truth.

• Example: “Less is more.”

Allusion

• Definition: An indirect reference to history, literature, or culture.

• Example: “He met his Waterloo.” (Refers to Napoleon’s defeat).

Allegory

• Definition: A story or work with a deeper symbolic meaning (moral, political, religious).

• Example: Animal Farm as an allegory for totalitarianism.

Aphorism

• Definition: A short, witty statement of truth or principle.

• Example: “Actions speak louder than words.”

Asyndeton

• Definition: Leaving out conjunctions for effect.

• Example: “I came, I saw, I conquered.”

Epigram

• Definition: A brief, clever, and memorable statement.

• Example: “The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it.” (Oscar Wilde)

Euphemism

• Definition: A polite or less direct way of saying something harsh.

• Example: “Passed away” instead of “died.”

Colloquialism

• Definition: Informal, everyday expressions in writing/speech.

• Example: “Y’all” or “gonna.”

Syllogism

• Definition: A logical argument with a major premise, minor premise, and conclusion.

• Example:

  • Major: All humans are mortal.

  • Minor: Socrates is human.

  • Conclusion: Socrates is mortal.