AP LANG VOCAB

Allegory

A narrative in which characters, events, and details symbolically represent abstract ideas or moral concepts.

Alliteration

The repetition of initial consonant sounds in neighboring words.

Allusion

A brief and indirect reference to a person, event, place, or work of art.

Analogy

A comparison between two things, typically for explanation or clarification.

Anaphora

The repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or sentences.

Anecdote

A short and amusing or interesting story about a real incident or person, often used to illustrate a point.

Antecedent

The noun or noun phrase to which a pronoun refers.

Antithesis

A rhetorical device that contrasts opposing ideas in parallel structures.

Aphorism

A concise statement of a general truth or principle.

Apostrophe

A figure of speech in which a speaker directly addresses an absent person, an abstract idea, or an inanimate object.

Assonance

The repetition of vowel sounds within closely placed words.

Chiasmus

A rhetorical device in which the structure of a phrase or clause is reversed in the following clause.

Colloquialism

Informal language or slang specific to a region or group.

Connotation

The emotional or cultural meaning associated with a word, beyond its literal definition.

Consonance

The repetition of consonant sounds, especially at the end of words.

Denotation

The literal, dictionary definition of a word.

Diction

The choice of words used by an author or speaker.

Enumeration

Listing items in order to emphasize a point.

Expletive

A word or phrase used for emphasis, often interrupting a sentence.

Euphemism

A mild or indirect word used to replace one that may be harsh or offensive.

Foil

A character who contrasts with another character to highlight their qualities.

Genre

A category of literature or art defined by style, form, or content.

Homily

A sermon or moralizing speech, often religious.

Hyperbole

Exaggerated statements not meant to be taken literally.

Hypophora

A rhetorical question that the speaker immediately answers.

Imagery

Descriptive language that appeals to the senses.

Invective

Insulting, abusive, or highly critical language.

Irony

A contrast between expectation and reality.

Juxtaposition

Placing two contrasting ideas close together for effect.

Litotes

A form of understatement that uses a double negative or negation.

Metaphor

A figure of speech that compares two unlike things without using 'like' or 'as.'

Metonymy

A figure of speech in which something is referred to by an associated term.

Onomatopoeia

A word that imitates a sound.

Oxymoron

A combination of two contradictory terms.

Paradox

A seemingly self-contradictory statement that contains truth.

Parallelism

Using similar grammatical structures in related phrases or clauses.

Parody

A humorous or exaggerated imitation of a work or style.

Personification

Giving human characteristics to non-human objects or concepts.

Polysyndeton

The use of multiple conjunctions in close succession for emphasis.

Rhetorical Modes

Patterns of organization for writing and speaking, including narration, description, exposition, and argumentation.

Rhetorical Questions

A question asked for effect, not to get an answer.

Satire

The use of humor, irony, or exaggeration to criticize or mock.

Semantics

The study of meaning in language, including word choice and connotations.

Syllogism

A logical argument with a major premise, minor premise, and conclusion.

Symbolism

Using symbols to represent ideas or qualities.

Synecdoche

A figure of speech in which a part represents the whole.

Understatement

A rhetorical device that minimizes the importance of something.