AP Lang 2022 Austin Vocabulary

appellation

a name or title that distinguishes or identifies

diphthong

a speech sound that consists of either two vowels or a vowel and a semivowel contained in a single syllable

eponym

a person for whom something is or is thought to be named

linguistics

the study of human speech, especially its components, structure, and nature, and how it changes

neologism

a newly made-up word, phrase, or expression

parlance

a particular manner or kind of speech

patois

a. a dialect other than the standard dialect of a language, especially a regional or uneducated form of speech

b. the distinctive language of a special group; jargon

polyglot

a. consisting of many groups speaking different languages

b. speaking or writing several languages

c. containing elements or materials from different languages

d. A person who knows several languages

e. A mixture of languages

solecism

a. the ungrammatical usage of a word or construction of a sentence

b. a violation of good manners or good taste

c. something out of the normal or proper order

vulgar

a. spoken by or using the language spoken by the common people rather than literary, cultured, or learned people; vernacular

b. of or associated with the common people

c. lacking taste or delicacy; coarse

d. conspicuous and excessive; pretentious

amulet

an object worn to bring luck or to protect against evil or injury; charm

capricious

characterized by or subject to sudden, unpredictable changes; fickle

fatalism

the belief that all events are determined in advance by fate and cannot be changed by human means

incantation

a set of words spoken as a magic charm or to cast a magic spell

propitious

presenting favorable circumstances; auspicious; advantageous

provedential

resulting from or seeming to result from divine will; fortunate; opportune

quirk

a. a peculiarity of behavior; mannerism; idiosyncrasy

b. an unpredictable or unaccountable shift in action

serendipity

the ability to make valuable discoveries by chance; luck

vagary

a wild or unpredictable notion or action; odd fancy

vicissitude

a. one of the sudden or unexpected changes or shifts often encountered in one's life, activities, or surroundings

b. a change or variation

continuity

a. the condition of being without a stop or interruption

b. an uninterrupted succession or flow

converge

a. to approach the same point from different directions; meet

b. to move towards a common conclusion or result

crux

a. the basic or essential feature of something

b. a baffling or puzzling point that is difficult to explain

initiate

a. to begin; originate; cause to begin

b. to admit into membership

pivotal

a. central or crucial to something: very important

b. pertaining to a pivot, the shaft about which a related part rotates or swings

sequel

a. something that follows; continuation

b. a result or consequence

c. a literary work that, while complete in itself, continues an already existing narrative

subordinate

a. one subject to the authority of another

b. of a lower class or rank; inferior

c. to put in a lower class or rank; make inferior

tangential

only superficially relevant or related

terminate

a. to bring to an end; conclude

b. to come to an end

ultimate

a. last; coming at the end

b. farthest; extreme

c. greatest possible

East of Eden

John Steinbeck

The Girl with Seven Names

Hyeonseo Lee

Superman and Me

Sherman Alexie

Teacher Man

Frank McCourt

Dumb Kids' Class

Mark Bowden

The Things They Made Me Carry: Inheriting a White Curriculum

Thu Anh Nguyen

Nobody Wants to Teach Anymore

Jessica Wildfire

complicity

involvement as an accomplice in a crime or wrongdoing

deploy

a. to station (persons or forces) systematically over an area

b. to spread out (troops) to form an extended front

explicate

to explain; make meaning clear

implicate

a. to involve or connect incriminatingly

b. to involve or suggest by logical necessity

implicit

a. implied or understood although not expressed

b. contained in the nature of something, although not readily apparent

c. having no doubts; unquestioning

inexplicable

incapable of being explained or interpreted

plight

a condition or situation of difficulty or adversity

replica

a. a copy or reproduction of a work of art, especially one made by the original artist

b. a copy or reproduction

replicate

to duplicate, copy, or repeat

supple

a. readily bent; pliant

b. moving and bending with agility; limber

c. yielding or changing readily; compliant or adaptable

aspersion

a. a damaging or false statement

b. the act of defaming or slandering

deprecate

a. to express disapproval of

b. to belittle; depreciate

deride

to laugh at in scorn; scoff at; mock

execrable

a. extremely inferior; very bad

b. detestable; hateful

ostracize

to banish or exclude from a group; to shun

rebuke

a. to criticize or reprimand sharply and sternly

b. words or actions expressing strong disapproval; a scolding

scurrilous

using or expressed in vulgar and abusive language; foul-mouthed

spurn

to reject or refuse disdainfully

vitriolic

bitterly severe; harsh; sharp

vituperation

sustained and bitter attack or condemnation; blame

accommodating

willing to help; obliging

accord

a. agreement; harmony

b. a settlement or compromise of conflicting opinions

c. to give wholeheartedly; grant readily

d. to be in agreement, harmony, or unity

acquiesce

to consent or comply passively or without protest; accept

adamant

firm and unyielding in purpose or opinion; inflexible

camaraderie

a spirit of loyalty, mutual trust, and good will between or among friends or comrades

compliance

a. an act of doing as another wishes or yielding to a request or command

b. a tendency to yield to others

propitiate

to prevent or reduce the anger of; soothe; appease

tractable

easily managed or controlled; docile

volition

a. an act of willing, choosing, or deciding; power or capability of determining

b. a conscious choice; decision

willfulness

a. unreasonable stubbornness

b. the inclination to impose one's will on others

Jonathan Edwards

Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God

auspices

a. protection or support; patronage

b. a portent, omen, or augury, especially when based on the action of birds

auspicious

attended by favorable circumstances

circumspect

heedful of circumstances or consequences; prudent

despicable

deserving of scorn or contempt; vile

introspective

self-examining; thinking about one's own thoughts and feelings

perspicuity

a. the quality of being clearly expressed or easily understood

b. the ability to perceive or understand keenly

prospective

a. likely to become or be

b. likely to happen; expected

specious

Having the ring of truth but actually false

specter

a. a phantom; apparition

b. a threatening or haunting possibility

spectrum

a. a broad sequence or range of related qualities, ideas, or activities

b. a range of values of a quantity or set of unrelated quantities

acuity

acuteness of perception; keenness

consummate

a. supremely accomplished or skilled

b. complete or perfect in every respect

c. complete; utter

cunning

a. skill or adeptness in performance; dexterity

b. skill in deception; guile

c. shrewd or crafty in manipulation or deception

d. executed with or exhibiting ingenuity

deft

skillful; adroit

endowment

a. natural gift or quality

b. funds or property donated to an institution, individual, or group as a source of income

facile

a. done or achieved with little effort or difficulty; easy

b. working, acting, or speaking effortlessly; fluent

c. arrived at without due care, effort, or examination; superficial

incompetent

a. not capable; not properly or well qualified

b. not adequate for the purpose; not sufficient

c. a person who is not capable or qualified for a particular task

inept

a. awkward or clumsy

b. not suitable to the circumstances or occasion; inappropriate

c. lacking in judgment, sense, or reason; foolish

proficient

performing in a given art, skill, or branch of learning with expert correctness and facility; adept

propensity

An innate inclination; tendency

beseech

a. to address an earnest or urgent request to; implore

b. to request earnestly; beg for

blandishment

the act of coaxing by flattery or wheedling

cajole

to coax gently and persistently; wheedle

elicit

a. to bring out; evoke

b. to call forth

enjoin

a. to direct with authority and emphasis; command

b. to prohibit or forbid

exigent

a. requiring immediate attention or remedy; urgent

b. Requiring or demanding a great deal

imperious

arrogantly domineering or overbearing

injunction

a. a command, directive, or order

b. a court order enjoining or prohibiting a party from a specific course of action

mendicant

a. a beggar

b. depending upon alms for a living; practicing begging

query

a. a question; inquiry

b. a doubt in the mind

c. to express doubt or uncertainty about; question

d. to put a question to

ambivalence

a. the simultaneous existence of conflicting feelings or thoughts, such as love and hate, about a person, an object, or an idea

b. uncertainty or indecisiveness as to what course to follow; fluctuation

avail

a. use, benefit, or advantage

b. to be of use or advantage to; help

c. to be of use, value, or advantage; serve