ap lang vocabulary
1) Analogy: long comparison between two different things to help explain something new or hard by linking it to something familiar.
2) Figurative Language: writing/speech that uses creative words to show a meaning that is not literal, making it more fun and vivid.
3) Imagery: language that uses the five senses (sight, sound, taste, touch, smell) to create a clear picture and feeling in the reader’s mind.
4) Connotation: the extra meaning of a word, includes feelings, ideas, or emotions that makes you think beyond its dictionary definition.
5) Denotation: the exact dictionary meaning of a word, without any extra feelings or ideas.
6) Deductive Reasoning: a way of thinking where you start with a general rule or idea and use it to figure out something specific.
7) Inductive Reasoning: a way of thinking where you look at specific facts or observations and use them to make a general conclusion.
8) Syllogism: a type of deductive reasoning that uses two statements (one general and one specific) to reach a logical conclusion.
9) Logical Fallacy: a mistake in reasoning that makes an argument weak, unreliable, or misleading.
10) Allusion: a short, indirect mention of a famous person, place, event, story, or idea.
11) Juxtaposition: putting two different things side by side to show their differences or surprising similarities.
12) Rhetorical Question: a question asked to make a point or create an effect, not to get an answer.
13) Hypophora: a technique where a speaker/writer asks a question then answers it to explain or emphasize a point.
14) Epiplexis: a technique where a speaker asks several questions to criticize, scold, or shame the audience.
15) Polemic: a strong and aggressive argument that attacks or defends an idea, person, or belief without accepting opposing views.
16) Rhetoric: the skill of using words and strategies to persuade or influence people in any situation.
17) Diction: the writer’s choice of words, picked to create a certain tone, effect, or meaning for the audience and purpose.
18) Syntax: the way words are carefully arranged in sentences to create a specific effect or feeling.
19) Tone: the writer’s attitude toward the topic or audience, shown through word choice and style.
20) Exigence: the urgent need or motive that prompts a writer to communicate a message, often addressing a specific problem or situation.
21) Concession: acknowledge of the vaildity of a different viewpoint.
22) Euphemism: to remove emotion from something or sugarcoat.
23) Hyperbole: exaggerating to make something seem more significant than it is (not meant to be taken literally).
24) Understatement: making something seem smaller/unserious/unimportant than it really is - to usually be funny.
25) Overstatement: exaggerating on purpose to make a point, making people feel something strongly / be funny or to make it seem important.
26) Refute: to show that someone’s argument is wrong by pointing out mistakes / giving evidence that proves it’s not true.
27) Rebut: to find a reason to disagree with an argument - such as it’s shortsighted or doesn’t take something into account.
28) Irony: when things turn out differently than expected/ or when someone says something but means the opposite.
29) Satire: using wit to inmitate, poke fun at or viciously attack, usually with the purpose of pointing out a weakness/shortcoming in a person or group.
30) Motif: something reoccuring in the story (object, idea, symbol) - shows main theme/message.
31) Trope: common pattern, theme, or figure of speech used in writing or speaking to create meaning or effect.
32) Parallelism: a way of forming sentences in which grammatical elements are changed into the same order.
33) Chiasmus: parallel elements are put into different order.
34) Antimetabole: using same words, but changing the order.
35) Claim: debatable point the author is trying to prove.
36) Argument: series of statements used to support a claim.
37) Antithesis: two opposite ideas written in the same sentence to give a contrasting effect.
38) Logos: using facts, #s, or clear reasons to make people believe author’s idea.
39) Pathos: using strong emotion to help audience agree with the author’s idea.
40) Ethos: writer showing credibility so audience believes and trusts author’s idea.