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AP Nonfiction Terms and Vocabulary

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Question
Answer
absolute   a term applied to anything that cannot be modified, qualified, or limited (unique, never, always, perfect)  
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abstract language   language describing ideas and qualities rather than observable or specific things, people or places (love, honor, liberty)  
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acerbic   acid in temper, mood, or tone  
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adjective   words that describe nouns or pronouns telling which one, what kind, and how many  
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adverb   a word ususally serving as a midifier and expressing some relation of manner/quality/place/time/degree/number/cause/opposition/affirmation/denial and also serving to connect and express comment on clause content  
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alliteration   the purposeful repition of initial consonant sounds  
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allusion   a reference to something/one well known  
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analogy   explanation based upon a comparison that explains or describes one subject by pointing out its similarities to another subject  
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anaphora   repitition device, in which the same word/expression is repeated at the beginning of 2+ lines/clauses/sentences for effect  
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anecdote   a short, often autobiographical, narrative told to achieve a purpose such as to prvide an example/illustration/thematic truth  
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antecedent   the word preceding a pronoun to which it refers  
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antithesis   a direct contrast of structurally parallel word groupings, to contrast; in argumentation, a second argument/principle brought forward to oppose a first proposition or thesis  
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aphorism   staement of general principle, memorably espressed by condensing much wisdom into few words  
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apostrophe   figure of speech in which a speaker directly addresses an inanimate object, absent person, or personified quality  
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attitude   the author's feelings toward a subject that is revealed by the tone  
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avarice   greed  
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chiasmus   parallel structure in inverted form (not a-b-a-b but, a-b-b-a)  
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conceit   elaborate, complex metaphor or simile comparing two extremely dissimilar things  
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circular reasoning   form of fallacy, 'begging the question', may seem OK but merely assumes what it is trying to prove  
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concrete example   characterized by or belonging to immediate experience of actual things or events that are specific, particular, real, tangible  
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cumulative sentence   aka loose sentence, makes sense if ended before the actual end, begins with the main idea(s) and expands adding details/particulars  
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cynicism   having/showing atitude of contemptous distrust of human nature and motives reflecting belief that human conduct primarily motivated by self-interest  
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deductive reasoning   inference in which the conclusion follows grom general premises (general -> specific)  
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detached   exhibiting an aloof objectivity, ususally free from prejudice or self-interest  
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didactic   term used to describe writing/stories that teaches a lesson/moral or provides an example of correct behavior/thinking. tone intended to instruct or moralize  
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elevated language   being morally or intellectually on a high plane  
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ellipsis   the deliberate omission of word(s) implid by context and parallel structure  
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fanciful   marked by unrestrained imagination rather than by reason and experience  
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hyperbole   a deliberate exaggeration or overstatement  
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imagery   descriptive or figurative language used to appeal to the senses  
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indict   to charge with a fault, offense, or crime  
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inductive reasoning   inference of a generalized conclusion from particular instances (specific -> general)  
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jocular   jesting, playful, jolly  
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loose sentence   aka cumulative sentence, makes sense if brought to a close before its actual ending  
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metaphor   a figure of speech in which one thing is spoken of as though it were something else  
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metaphysical   of or relating to the transcendent or to a reality beyond what is perceptible to the senses  
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metonymy   figure of speech in which the name of one object is subsituted for that of another closely related object  
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mock epic   a narrative poem that parodies the epic form and is usually used for satire  
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objective   independent of individual bias or subjectivity  
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oxymoron   a two-word figure of speech that combines two opposing/contradicting ideas  
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parable   a short fictitious story that illustrates a moral attitude or a religious principle  
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paradox   an assertion semmingly opposed to common sense, but may still have truth in it  
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paralleliam   the repitition of grammatical structure  
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periodic sentence   a sentence that places the main idea/ central thought at the end of the sentence, after all introductory elements, creates suspense  
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personification   a type of figurative language in which a non-human subject is given human characteristics  
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pun   a play on words based on different meanings of words that sound alike  
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proselytize   to recruit or convert especially to a new faith, institution, or cause  
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prudence   good judgment; sagacity or shrewdness in management of affairs  
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qualifier   a word (like usually, almost, often) or word group that limits or modifies the meaning of another word(s)  
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simile   figure of sppech that uses like or as to make a comparison between basically unlike objects  
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subjective   modified or affected by personal views, experience, or background; biased  
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subjunctive mood   expressed by verb forms (plural) that represent a state not as fact but as contigent or possible such as with doubt or desire (I wish i were you, if I were you,...)  
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surreal   having the intense irrationality of a dream, unlike/beyond reality  
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syllepsis   a construction in which one word seems to be in the same grammatical relation to 2+ words but, in fact, one is not (He lost both his coat and his temper) one is literal the other figurative  
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syllogism   a form of deductive reasoning consisting of a major premise, a minor premise, and a conclusion (If A is true, and B is true, than C must be true)  
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synecdoche   a form of metaphor in which a part of something is used to stand for the whole thing  
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synesthesia   the concurrent response of 2+ of the senses to the stimulation of one (blue note, loud shirt)  
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tautology   unnecessary repitition of words (free gift, future plans)  
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verbal   a verb not acting as a verb but as a describer, an adjective, or a noun  
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