AP WORLD

Agrarian

Cultivated land

Aristocracy

The ruling class in societies. Members are referred to as aristocrats and often have hereditary titles

Autocrat

A ruler who has absolute power

Bureaucracy

System of government in which decisions are made by state officials (known as bureaucrats) and not elected officials

Civilization

Complex and organized societies with a government, social stratification, urban development(s), economic developments, and innovations (such as a written language); the first civilizations to emerge were the river valleys

Commerce

The activity of buying and selling, especially on a large scale

Cultural Difusion

The spread of one’s cultural practices

Decentralized Government

The government authority is dispersed away from the center

Divine

of, from, or like a God

Domestic

Relating to the running of a home or to family relations; existing or occurring inside a particular country; not foreign or international

Domesticate

Taming of animals or keeping of animals, typically on a farm

Egalitarian

Equal

Ethnocentrism

Evaluation of other cultures according to preconceptions originating in the standards and customs of one's own culture

Golden Age

Period when a civilization is at its height; consists of peace and prosperity which lead to achievements

Imperial

Relating to an empire or emperor

Isolation

Remain alone/away from others.

Maritime

Connected with the sea; this can be with business, living along the sea, or bordering the sea

Nomadic

Moving frequently; nomads often move in regular patterns to follow their food source or resources

Oppression

Cruel or unjust treatment or control

Patriarchy

System of society and government in which the male is superior and holds power in society; lineage is traced through the father. Patriarchal societies are ones which have elements of patriarchy embedded in their culture

Rural

In, relating to, or characteristic of the countryside

Reform

Making changes in order to improve something

Secular

Worldly; not bound by religious rule

Suffcient

Enough, adequate

Urban

In, relating to, or characteristic of a town or city