AP Lit Unit 1 Vocab

Benevolence

kindness, generosity

Amicable

friendly, peaceful

Enamored

charmed or fascinated, inflamed with love

Amorous

having or showing strong feelings of attraction or love

Paramour

a lover, often secret, not allowed by law

Antebellum

existing before a war, especially before the American Civil War

Bellicose

warlike, aggressive, quarrelsome

Belligerence

aggressiveness, combativeness

Rebellion

open defiance and opposition, sometimes armed, to a person or thing in authority

Pacify

(1) to soothe anger or agitation. (2) to subdue by armed action

Pacifist

a person opposed to war or violence, especially someone who refuses to bear arms or to fight, on moral or religious grounds

Pact

an agreement between two or more people or groups; a treaty or formal agreement between nations to deal with a problem or to resolve a dispute

Pace

contrary to the opinion of

Criminology

the study of crime, criminals, law enforcement, and punishment

Decriminalize

to remove or reduce the criminal status of

Incriminate

to show evidence of involvement in a crime or a fault

Recrimination

(1) an accusation in answer to an accusation made against oneself. (2) the making of such an accusation

Approbation

a formal or official act of approving, praise, usually given with pleasure or enthusiasm

Probate

the process of proving in court that the will of someone who has died is valid, and of administering the estate of a dead person

Probity

absolute honesty and uprightness

Reprobate

a person of thoroughly bad character

Grave

(1) requiring serious thought or concern. (2) serious and formal in appearance or manner

Gravitas

great or very dignified seriousness

Gravitate

to move or be drawn toward something, especially by natural tendency or as if by an invisible force

Aggravate

(1) to make (an injury, problem, etc.) more serious or severe. (2) to annoy or bother

Alleviate

to lighten, lessen, or relieve, especially physical or mental suffering

Elevation

(1) the height of a place. (2) the act or result of lifting or raising someone/something

Cantilever

a long piece of wood, metal, etc., that sticks out from a wall to support something above it

Levity

lack of appropriate seriousness

Hector

to bully or harass by bluster or personal pressure

Hedonism

an attitude or way of life based on the idea that pleasure or happiness should be the chief goal

Nestor

a senior figure or leader in one's field

Spartan

marked by simplicity, avoidance of luxury, and often strict self-discipline or self-denial

Stentorian

extremely loud, often with especially deep richness of sound

Stoic

seemingly indifferent to pleasure or pain

Sybaritic

marked by a luxurious or sensual way of life