AP Language Week 1 Vocabulary

Vocabulary terms and definitions from the AP Language Week 1 lecture notes.

Allegory

a story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one.

Alliteration

the occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words.

Allusion

an expression designed to call something to mind without mentioning it explicitly; an indirect or passing reference.

Ambiguity

the quality of being open to more than one interpretation; inexactness.

Analogy

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

Anaphora

Repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive phrases, clauses, or sentences.

Anecdote

a short amusing or interesting story about a real incident or person.

Antithesis

a person or thing that is the direct opposite of someone or something else.

Aphorism

An observation that contains a general truth.

Assonance

Repetition of vowel sounds in words or groups of words.

Banal

Lacking in originality as to be obvious and boring.

Esoteric

Intended for or likely to be understood by only a small number of people with a specialized knowledge or interest.

Exoteric

Intended for or likely to be understood by the general public.

Mercurial

Subject to sudden or unpredictable changes of mood or mind.

Eristic

Prone to controversy; disputatious; argumentative