AP Lang Vocab List 1

Allegory

A device using characters or story elements symbolically to represent an abstraction beyond the literal meaning.

Alliteration

The repetition of initial consonant sounds in neighboring words to reinforce meaning or create a musical sound.

Allusion

A direct or indirect reference to something commonly known, such as an event, book, or myth.

Ambiguity

The presence of multiple meanings in a word, phrase, sentence, or passage, whether intentional or unintentional.

Analogy

A comparison between two different things that explains something unfamiliar by relating it to something familiar.

Anastrophe

The syntactic reversal of the normal order of words in a sentence for emphasis.

Anecdote

A short, amusing, or interesting story about a real incident or person used to develop a point or inject humor.

Antecedent

The word, phrase, or clause that a pronoun refers to in a sentence.

Antithesis

The opposition or contrast of ideas; the direct opposite.

Aphorism

A terse statement of known authorship expressing a general truth or moral principle.

Apostrophe

A figure of speech that directly addresses an absent or imaginary person or personified abstraction.

Atmosphere

The emotional mood created by a literary work, influenced by setting and descriptive choices.

Archaic

Extremely old or old-fashioned language or expressions.

Assonance

The repetition of vowel sounds without consonant repetition to enhance tone and meaning.

Cacophony

A loud, unpleasant mixture of sounds that creates an awkward or jarring mood.

Caricature

A verbal description that exaggerates or distorts a person's distinctive features for comic effect.

Circumlocution

The use of more words than necessary to be deliberately vague or evasive.

Clause

A grammatical unit containing a subject and a verb; can be independent or dependent.

Colloquial/Colloquialism

The use of slang or informalities in speech or writing, giving a conversational tone.

Conceit

A fanciful expression or extended metaphor that displays intellectual cleverness through unusual comparisons.

Connotation

The non-literal, associative meaning of a word, including implied ideas or emotions.

Denotation

The strict, literal dictionary definition of a word, devoid of emotion or attitude.