AP World History Vocabulary

Agrarian

relating to fields or land for farming

Analysis

separating a whole entity into its component parts for examination

Artifact

something made or altered by humans for a practical purpose (used for historical analysis, especially before writing)

Assimilation

to incorporate and absorb into surrounding environment

Barter

to trade one commodity for another without the use of money

BC/BCE

Before Christ / Before Common Era

AD/CE

Anno Domini (in the year of our Lord) / Common Era

Bias

tendency toward prejudice; personal judgment

Bureacracy

a body of non-elected government officials that make policy

Capitalism

economic system characterized by private ownership, free enterprise and lack of government involvement in the economy

Cash crop

a readily salable crop produced primarily for market (ex: cotton, tobacco)

Century

a grouping of 100 years

Chronology

an arrangement of events in order of occurrence (1st to last)

Circa

at, in or approximately; used especially with dates (ex. Circa 1570)

Circum-maritime

world-wide, ocean-going trade

City-state

an autonomous state consisting of a city and surrounding territory

Civilization

a relatively high level of cultural and technological development (including writing)

Codify

to classify and formally write down

Colonialism

control by one power or country over a dependent area and/or people

Command economy

economic system where activity is controlled by a central authority (gov't.)and means of production are publicly owned

Comparison

examination of two entities, noting similarities and differences

Connection

a causal or logical relationship, a tie

Consumer

one that uses or utilizes economic goods and services

Continuity

uninterrupted and/or duration without essential change(s)

Coup d’etat

a sudden, decisive exercise of force in politics; violent overthrow or altering of existing gov't by a small group

Culture

the characteristic features of a group or people: includes food, religion, etc.

Decade

a grouping of ten years

Decolonization

to be free from colonial status

Demography

the statistical study of human populations especially related to size, distribution, density and vital statistics

Dictator

a person granted absolute power and control

Diffusion

spread of cultural elements from one area or group of people to another through contact

Diversity

being composed of different elements (as peoples, races, cultures)

Domestic

of or relating to one's own home country

Domestication

to adapt animals and/or plants for human use and benefit

Dynasty

a succession of rulers from the same family

Ecumene

the permanently inhabited portion of the earth

Elites

the best or highest of a class, socially superior

Emancipation

liberation, freeing (as in slaves)

Empire

a political unit having a great extent of territories or peoples under a single authority

Entrepot

a center of trade and transshipment

Entrepreneur

one who organizes, manages and assumes the risks of a business or enterprise

Era

a period of time identified by prominent or characteristic features

Evolution

a process of continual change

Ethnic group

large groups of people classed according to common racial, national, tribal, religious, linguistic, or cultural origin or background

Ethno-centrism

having the attitude that one's own culture group is superior to others

Expansion

increasing in size

Fact

something that is provable; verifiable, actual

Federal

relating to the national government

Federalism

in the U.S., a division of power between the national and the state governments

Feudalism

a political system where under lords hold/use land in return for military protection and peasants work the land in return for protection

Forage

to wander in search of food

Gender

the behavioral, cultural or psychological traits typically associated with one sex, male or female

Genocide

the deliberate, systematic destruction of a racial, political or cultural group

Global

of or relating to the entire world

Globalization

the development of an increasingly integrated world economy

Habitat

the place or environment where a plant, animal or person naturally lives

Hegemony

influence or authority exerted by a dominant group over others

Hierarchy

a division into ranks, classes or orders according to political, social or economic standing

Historiography

the principles of the writing of history using critical methods

Hypothesis

an assumption or an interpretation

Ideology

a systematic body of concepts that are characteristic of an individual, group or culture

Imperialism

the policy of one country extending power/authority over another through military, economic or political means

Independence

not subject to control by others, not affiliated with a controlling unit

Indigenous

produced, growing, living or occurring naturally in a particular region or environment

Industry

manufacturing activity as a whole

Inflation

a continuing rise in the general price level of goods/services

Interdisciplinary

involving two or more academic, scientific or artistic disciplines

Interpretation

a teaching technique that combines factual and explanatory information

Manumission

formal freeing or emancipation of slaves

Maritime

of or relating to the sea

Market economy

economy where most goods/services are produced and distributed through free markets

Metallurgy

art/science of extracting metals from their ores and modifying them for use

Methodology

a regular procedure employed by a discipline or field (such as historical interpretation)

Migration

to move from one country, place or locality to another

Millennium

a group of 1,000 years

Modernization

transformation from a rural, agrarian society to an urban, industrial one

Monotheism

believing in only one god

Non-governmental organization

legally constituted, not for profit businesses that are independent of governments (usually pursue social/political aims for charity)

Neolithic revolution

the movement of people from food gathering to food producing/herding

Network

interconnected group or association of persons or colleagues (i.e. trade)

Nomads

people with no fixed residence - they move place to place, usually seasonally

Pastoral

of or relating to herdsmen and raisin livestock

Parliamentary system

gov't. system utilizing a legislative body

Patricarchy

social organization marked by the supremacy of the father or older male and dependency of women and children

Periodization

division of history into periods

Perspective

a mental view or prospect, a distinct impression

Polytheism

belief in many gods

Primary source

an eyewitness account

Propaganda

ideas, facts or allegations spread deliberately to further one's cause or to damage an opposing cause

Pull factors

elements which draw people to move to a location

Push factors

elements which draw people to move away from a location

Reform

to amend or improve by change of form or removal of faults/abuses

Republic

gov't. whose power resides in a body of citizens entitled to represent a group

Revolution

a fundamental change in political organization; especially the overthrow of one gov't/ruler for another

Rural

of or relating to the country, country life, people or agriculture

Secondary source

not an eyewitness account; a person who got information from a primary source

Segregation

isolation of a race, class or ethnic group in a restricted area with discriminatory barriers to social, political or economic participation

Socialism

economic theory emphasizing collective or gov't ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods

Specialization

apply to a direct or specific use - to concentrate one's efforts in one area

State

a politically organized body of people usually occupying a definite territory