AP Language-Vocab-Definitions

adage

a familiar proverb or wise saying

ad hominem argument

 attacking the character of the arguer rather than the argument itself

 allegory

the device of using character and/or story elements symbolically to represent an abstraction in addition to the literal meaning.

alliteration

the practice of beginning several consecutive words with the same sound

allusion

 a reference to mythological, literary, or historical person, place, or thing.

anadiplosis

a figure of repetition that occurs when the last word or terms in one sentence, clause, or phrase is/are repeated at or very near the beginning of the next sentence, clause, or phrase.

ambiguity

allows for two or more simultaneous interpretations of a word, phrase, action, or situation, all of which can be supported by the context of a work.

 analogy

A similarity or comparison between two different things or the relationship between them.

 anaphora

 One of the devices of repetition, in which the same expression (word or words) is repeated at the beginning of two or more lines or sentences.

 antanagoge

 placing a good point or benefit next to a fault criticism, or problem in order to reduce the impact or significance of the negative point:

 anecdote

A short narrative detailing particulars of an interesting episode or event.  The term most frequently refers to an incident in the life of a person

antecedent

the word, phrase, or clause to which a pronoun refers

antithesis

The juxtaposition of contrasting words, often in parallel structure.

 aphorism

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

 aporia

 expresses doubt about an idea or conclusion. Among its several uses are the suggesting of alternatives without making a commitment to either or any.

apostrophe

a form of personification in which the absent or dead are spoken to as if present and the inanimate as if animate.  They are addressed directly.

appositive

a noun or noun phrase that follows another noun immediately or defines or amplifies its meaning. 

assonance

the repetition of vowel sounds in a series of words, e.g., the words “cry” and “side” have the same vowel sound and are so said to be in assonance.

asyndeton

the omission of conjunctions between related clauses

bathos

insincere or overly sentimental quality of writing/speech intended to evoke pity

 chiasmus

 a form of parallelism; a statement consisting of two parallel parts in which the second part is structurally reversed.

cliché

an expression that has been overused to the extent that its freshness is worn off.

 colloquial/colloquialism

The use of slang or informalities in speech or writing. Not generally acceptable for formal writing, colloquialisms give a work a conversational, familiar tone. Colloquial expressions in writing include local or regional dialects. 

 complex sentence

a sentence with one independent clause and at least one dependent clause.

compound sentence

a sentence with two or more coordinate independent clauses, often joined by one or more conjunctions.

conceit

 A fanciful expression in writing or speech; an elaborate metaphor or surprising analogy between seemingly dissimilar objects

 conduplication

resembles anadiplosis in the repetition of a preceding word, but it repeats a key word (not just the last word) from a preceding phrase, clause, or sentence, at the beginning of the next. 

 context

the convergence of time, place, audience, and motivating factors in which a piece of writing or a speech is situated.

consonance

the repetition of a consonant sound within a series of words to produce a harmonious effect

circumlocution

the use of an unnecessarily large number of words or an indirect means of expression to express an idea so as to affect an evasion in speech.

cumulative (or loose) sentence

 A type of sentence in which the main idea (independent clause) comes first, followed by dependent grammatical units such as phrases and clauses. 

declarative sentence

 a sentence that makes a statement or declaration

dialect

a variety of speech characterized by its own particular grammar or pronunciation, often associated with a particular geographical region

 diction

author’s word choice.  Includes connotation/denotation and levels of formality

distinction

a figure of explication in which an introductory reference to a word's meaning is made (e.g., "by x I mean," "which is to say that," "that is") followed by a further elaboration of that word's meaning, explicit definition of, or elaboration upon the meaning or meanings of a particular word or set of words.

double entendre

the double (or multiple) meanings of a group of words that the speaker or writer has purposely left ambiguous; one meaning is usually risqué

epigram

a brief, pithy, and often paradoxical saying

 epigraph

a saying or statement on the title page of a work, or used as a heading for a chapter or other section of work

epithet

 a term used to point out a characteristic in a person.  Homeric epithets are often compound adjectives (“swift-footed Achilles”) that become an almost formulaic part of a name. Epithets can be abusive or offensive but are not so by definition.

epistrophe

the opposite of anaphora, repetition at the end of successive clauses

 eponym

n rhetoric, similar to an allusion, referring to a specific famous person to link his or her attributes with someone else

ethos

e appeal of a text to the credibility and character of the speaker, writer, or narrative.

euphemism

an indirect expression of unpleasant information in such a way as to lessen its impact

expletive

 an interjection to lend emphasis―  sometimes, a profanity―  Figure of emphasis in which a single word or short phrase, usually interrupting normal speech, is used to lend emphasis to the words on either side of the expletive. Typical examples include: in fact, of course, to be sure, indeed, I suppose, I hope, , I think, you know, you see, clearly, in any event, in effect, certainly, remarkably.

extended analogy/metaphor

-an extended passage arguing that if two things are similar in one or two ways, they are probably similar in other ways as well

Homily

Literally means "sermon," but more informally, it can include any serious talk, speech, or lecture involving moral or spiritual advice.

Hyperbole

A deliberate, extravagant, and often outrageous exaggeration.

Hypophora

A figure of speech in which a writer raises a question and then immediately provides an answer to that question.

Ibid

A Latin term used to provide a footnote citation for a source that was cited in the preceding endnote or footnote.

Imagery

Words or phrases a writer uses to represent persons, objects, actions, feelings, and ideas descriptively by appealing to the senses.

Invective

An emotionally violent, verbal denunciation or attack using strong, abusive language.

Verbal Irony

When a speaker says one thing while meaning the opposite.

Situational Irony

When a situation turns out differently from what one would expect normally—though the twist is oddly appropriate.

Dramatic Irony

When a speaker or character says or does something that has a different meaning from what he or she thinks it means, though the audience and other characters understand the full implications.

Litotes

A type of understatement in which an idea is expressed by negating its opposite.

Logos

An appeal to logic.

Loose (or Cumulative) Sentence

A type of sentence in which the main idea (independent clause) comes first, followed by dependent grammatical units such as phrases and clauses.

Malapropism

The mistaken substitution of one word for another that sounds similar.

Metaphor

A comparison of two unlike things not using "like" or "as."

Mood

The atmosphere or predominant emotion in a literary work.

Metonymy

A figure of speech in which the name of one object is substituted for that of another closely associated with it.

Non Sequitur

An illogical inference that does not follow logically from the premises.

Onomatopoeia

The use of words to mimic the sounds they describe, such as "buzz" or "moan".

Oxymoron

A form of paradox that combines a pair of opposite terms into a single unusual expression, such as "sweet sorrow" or "thunderous silence".

Paradox

Occurs when the elements of a statement contradict each other.

Parallelism

The grammatical or rhetorical framing of words, phrases, sentences, or paragraphs to give structural similarity.

Parody

A work that closely imitates the style or content of another with the specific aim of comic effect and/or ridicule.

Pathos

An appeal to the emotions or interests of the audience.

Periodic Sentence

A sentence that presents its central meaning in the main clause at the end, preceded by a dependent phrase or clause.

Personification

Giving inanimate objects or abstract ideas human characteristics.

Polysyndeton

The deliberate use of more conjunctions than is necessary or natural for rhetorical effect.

Predicate Adjective

A subject complement consisting of an adjective, group of adjectives, or adjective clause following a linking verb.

Predicate Nominative

A subject complement consisting of a noun, group of nouns, or noun clause that follows a linking verb and renames the subject.

Procatalepsis

A figure of speech in which the speaker raises an objection to their own argument and immediately answers it to deal with counterarguments beforehand.

Pun

A play on words, often achieved through the use of words with similar sounds but different meanings.

Qualifiers

Words or phrases, such as "most", "some", or "few", that limit the force of an author's claim.

Rhetorical Question

A question posed not to seek an answer, but to affirm or deny a point simply by asking it.

Repetition

The duplication, either exact or approximate, of any element of language, such as a sound, word, phrase, clause, sentence, or grammatical pattern.

Sarcasm

The use of verbal irony in which a speaker or writer appears to be praising something, but is actually insulting or ridiculing it.

Satire

A work that targets human vices, follies, or social institutions for reform or ridicule, often using irony, parody, exaggeration, and sarcasm to offer thought