AP Lang Vocab Set #1

Pre-

Before, kind of prelude

Preamble

An introduction to a text

Presage

To indicate something (usually bad) is about to happen

Prescient

Having knowledge of something before it happens

Predilection

A special fondness

Precipitate

Rash, acting without thinking

Predicate

To be based on

Presentiment

A feeling that something (typically bad) is about to happen

Precedent

Something that sets an example for how things are done in the future

Pretentious

Acting more important than others by pretending to know more

Pretense

A claim or assertion not based on fact

Predecessor

One that comes before, often a person who previously held a position before passing it on to someone else

Precursor

Something that comes before another; used only for things, not for people

Pretext

excuse

Precocious

Developing early (usually in terms of ability)

Preclude

To make it impossible for something to happen

Ben-

Good

Benign

Not harmful, kind

Benefactor

A person who gives money or a gift to another

Benediction

A blessing

Beneficial

Helpful, advantageous

Benevolence

Kindness

Beneficiary

A person who receives something advantageous

Mal-

Bad

Malaria

A disease carried by mosquitos

Malfeasance

Wrongdoing, particularly by an official

Malapropism

An unintended (usually humorous) misuse of a word or words

Malodorous

Foul-smelling

Malady

An illness

Malice

Hatred

Malign

To say bad things about, slander

Maleficent

Evil

Phon-

Sound

Telephone

Distant sound, think of telepathy or the ability to read minds

Phonetic

Relating to the way words are spoken

Cacophony

A harsh sound

Symphony

A large group of instruments creating music

Homophone

A word that sounds exactly like another word but has a different meaning and is often spelled differently

Francophone

A French speaker

Anglophone

An English speaker

Phoneme

A unit of sound in a language

Eu-

Good

Euphoria

An extreme feeling of happiness and joy

Euphemism

A pleasant way of saying or describing something that is unpleasant

Eugenics

Controlled breeding to increase desirable heritable characteristics in people

Euthanasia

The practice of inducing painless death in a person or animal too sick to live

Eulogy

A speech of praise, typically at a funeral

Eureka

An exclamation of joy upon discovering something

Euphony

Harmonious, pleasant sound

Eudaemonic

Promoting happiness

Anthro-

Man

Anthropology

The study of mankind

Anthropocentric

Viewing humankind as the center of the universe

Anthropomorphic

Taking on human characteristics

Anthropogenic

Induced or altered by humans

Anthropophagy

Cannibalism

Anthropocene

The current geological age

Circum-

Around

Circumvent

To figure out a way around an obstacle

Circumscribe

To set limits to 

Circumlocution

An indirect way of speaking

Circumstance

A fact or condition connected to an event or action

Circumambulate

To walk around something

Circumference

The perimeter of a circle

Circumspect

Cautious