AP World History
Project 399
The following is a list of 399 general vocabulary words that students should know in order to meet the reading and writing demands of a college-level history course. While the list is nowhere near exhaustive (i.e., there are plenty more “big” words not on the list that you can and should add to your personal vocabulary over time), these are SAT-type words that tend to appear frequently in texts used for social studies courses like history and political science. Each entry includes a) a phonetic pronunciation for the word (so that you can develop the confidence needed to use these words in class discussions), b) the part(s) of speech, c) one or more definitions, and often d) other forms of the word (so that you can become ever more felicitous in your written and oral expression).
Study these words. Come to know them, love them and use them.
Weekly vocabulary quizzes will be a feature of this class throughout the year.
1. abate (uh BAYT) v. – to subside, reduce, deduct, make less. abatement n.
2. aberration (ab uh RAY shun) n. – something not typical; a deviation from standard. aberrant adj. aberrational adj.
3. abdicate (AB duh cayt) v. – to step down from a position of power or responsibility. abdication n.
4. absolute (AB suh loot) adj. – total; unlimited; perfect. absolutely adv.
5. abstract (AB strakt) adj. – theoretical; impersonal; not concrete. abstractness n.
6. acrimonious (ak ruh MOH nee us) adj. – full of spite; bitter; nasty. acrimony n.
7. adherent (ad HEER unt) n. – follower; supporter; believer. adhere v.
8. administer (ad MIN uh stur) v. – to manage or direct, as in the affairs of state; administrator n. – one who administers.
9. adorn (uh DORN) v. – to add beauty; splendor or distinction; to decorate. adornment n.
10. aesthetic (es THET ik) adj. – having to do with artistic beauty; sensitive to art and beauty.
11. affluent (AF loo unt) adj. – rich; prosperous. affluently adv. affluence n.
12. agrarian (uh GRAYR ee un) adj. – relating to land or farming of land.
13. allocate (AL uh kayt) v. – to distribute; to assign. allocation n.
14. alloy (AL oy) n. – a combination of two or more things, usually metals; v. – to make into an alloy.
15. amnesty (AM nuh stee) n. – an official pardon for a group of people who have violated a law or policy.
16. anarchy (AN ur kee) n. – the absence of government; political disorder and violence. anarchic adj. anarchist n.
17. animism (AN uh miz um) n. – belief that all life is produced by a spiritual force, or that all phenomena have souls. animistic adj.
18. antiquity (an TIK wuh tee) n. – the ancient period of history. antiquities n. – relics of the distant past.
19. antithetical (an tuh THET uh cul) adj. – directly opposed in every respect.
20. apocryphal (uh POK ruh ful) adj. – of doubtful authenticity; not genuine.
21. apparatus (AP uh rat us) n. – any complex device, machine or system.
22. appease (uh PEEZ) v. – to pacify, quiet or satisfy, esp. by giving in to demands. appeasement n.
23. appropriate (uh PROH pree ayt) v. – to take for one’s own use, often improperly, to set aside for a specific use. appropriation n.
24. archaic (ar KAY ik) adj. – ancient, odd-fashioned. archaically adv.
25. aristocratic (uh ris tuh KRAT ik) adj. – of or like the tastes and manners of the upper class. aristocrat n.
26. artisan (AR tuh sun) n. – a skilled craftsman. artisanal adj.
27. ascetic (uh SET ik) adj. – self-denying, austere; n. – one who leads a life of self-denial, esp. for religious purposes. asceticism n.
28. assimilate (uh SIM uh layt) v. – to absorb and incorporate; to become like or alike. assimilation n.
29. augment (AWG ment) v. – to make or become greater. augmentation n.
30. autocratic (aw tuh KRAT ik) adj. – tending to be like a domineering person, or like rule by a government with unrestricted power. autocrat n.
31. autonomous (aw TAHN uh mus) adj. – having self-government; existing or functioning independently. autonomy n.
32. avow (uh VOW) v. – to declare or acknowledge openly. avowal n. avowed adj.
33. banal (buh NAL) adj. – trite; hackneyed; worn out by constant use. banality n.
34. bane (BAYN) n. – ruin, death, harm or their cause. baneful adj.
35. bastion (BASS chun) n. – a protection from fortification; any strong defense.
36. beleaguer (bi LEE gur) v. – to besiege by encircling; to beset or harass. beleaguered adj.
37. belie (bi LIE) v. – to disguise or misrepresent; to leave unfulfilled, to prove false.
38. belligerent (buh LIJ uh runt) adj. – warlike; ready to fight. n. – a belligerent person, group or nation. belligerence n.
39. benefactor (BEN uh fak tur) n. – one who has given help, esp. financially. benefactress n.
40. benevolent (buh NEV uh lunt) adj. – inclined to do good; charitable kindliness. benevolence n.
41. benign (bi NYNE) adj. – good natured; kindly; favorable; gentle; mild; not malignant. benignly adv.
42. beset (bi SET) v. – to attack from all sides; to harass or beleaguer.
43. blasphemy (BLASS fuh mee) n. – profane speech, writing or action concerning God or sacred writings. blasphemous adj.
44. blatant (BLAYT unt) adj. – disagreeably loud; noisy; boldly conspicuous or obtrusive. blatancy n.
45. bourgeois (boor ZHWAH) adj. – boringly conventional, smug, materialistic; middle class, usually in a pejorative sense. bourgeoisie (-zee) n.
46. broach (BROHCH) v. – to start a discussion of; bring up or introduce.
47. bureaucracy (byoo RAWK ruh see) n. – the administration of governments through departments and subdivisions marked by inflexible routine; the officials of such a government collectively. bureaucrat n. bureaucratic adj.
48. burgeon (BUR jun) v. – to grow or develop rapidly; expand; proliferate; flourish. burgeoning adj.
49. bustle (BUS uhl) v. – busy and noisy activity; commotion; to hurry busily. bustling adj.
50. candor (KAN dur) n. – sharp honesty or frankness is expressing oneself; the quality of being fair and impartial.
51. capitulate (kuh PICH uh layt) v. – to give up; stop resisting. capitulation n.
52. catalyst (KAT uh list) n. – a person or thing acting as a stimulus or bringing about a result.
53. caustic (KAW stik) adj. – cutting or sarcastic in utterance; biting; corrosive.
54. caveat (KAV ee ott) n. – a warning or caution; a qualification or explanation.
55. celibacy (SELL uh buh see) n. – the state of being unmarried, esp. that of a person under a vow not to marry; complete sexual abstinence. celibate adj.
56. censure (SEN shur) v. – to express strong disapproval. censorious adj. – to be highly critical by doing a lot of censuring.
57. charisma (kuh RIZ muh) n. – a special charm or allure that inspires fascination, loyalty or devotion from followers. charismatic adj.
58. charlatan (SHAR luh tun) n. – a person who claims to have expertise or skill he really doesn’t have; a fake or fraud.
59. chasm (KAZ um) n. – a deep crack in the earth’s surface; any break or gap; a rift.
60. chronicle (KRAHN uh kul) n. – a historical record or register of facts; a narrative; history.
61. circumscribe (SUR kum skrybe) v. – to confine within bounds; to limit; restrict. circumscription n.
62. civil (SIV ul) adj. – of or pertaining to citizens and their relations with one another or with the state; polite, courteous. civility n.
63. clemency (KLEM un see) n. – mildness of temper, especially towards an offender or enemy; leniency, mercy, forgiveness.
64. coalesce (koh uh LESS) v. – to grow together; fuse. coalescence n.
65. coerce (koh URS) v. – to force to act or think in a given manner; to compel by pressure or threat. coercive adj. coercion n.
66. commensurate (kuh MEN sur it) adj. – equal to in size or extent; proportionate.
67. commerce (KAHM urs) n. – trade on a large scale, as between countries. commercial adj.
68. conciliatory (kun SIL ee uh tor ee) adj. – characteristic of winning over, making peace or placating through goodwill. conciliate v.
69. concord (KAHN kord) n. – agreement, harmony; peaceful relations, as between nations. concordant adj.
70. concubine (KAHN cyoo byne) n. – a woman who cohabits with a man without being married to him; a secondary wife of inferior status.
71. conducive (kun DOO siv) adj. – promoting or leading to an effect. conduciveness n.
72. confluence (KAHN floo uns) n. – a flowing together, esp. of two streams; a crowd.
73. consecrate (KAHN suh krayt) v. – to make, declare, or set apart as sacred. consecration n.
74. consensus (kun SEN sus) n. – opinion held by all or most; general agreement; unanimity.
75. consolidate (kun SAH luh dayt) v. – to combine into a single whole; unite; to make or become strong or stable. consolidation n.
76. consonant (KAHN suh nunt) adj. – harmonious; in agreement. consonance n.
77. contentious (kun TEN shus) adj. – having the quality of strife or dispute; argumentative, quarrelsome. contend v. contention n.
78. contiguous (kun TIG yoo uhs) adj. – touching or in contact with; near or next. contiguity n.
79. corollary (KOR uh layr ee) n. – a proposition that follows from one already proved; a natural consequence or conclusion.
80. cosmopolitan (KOZ muh pah luh tun) adj. – common to or representative of all or many parts of the world; not bound by national or local habits or prejudices; at home in all places; n. – a cosmopolitan person or thing.
81. coup (KOO) n. – a brilliant victory or accomplishment; the sudden, forcible overthrow of a ruler or government (coup d’etat).
82. covenant (KUV uh nunt) n. – a solemn agreement; a contract; a pledge.
83. covert adj. – secret; hidden; disguised.
84. culminate (KUL muh nayt) v. – to reach its highest point or fullest effect. culmination n.
85. dearth (durth) n. – scarcity or lack.
86. debauchery ( di BAW chuh ree) n. – wild living; excessive intemperance; debauch v. – to seduce or corrupt; debauched adj. – seduced or corrupted.
87. decadent (DEK uh dunt) adj. – decaying or decayed, esp. in terms of morals. decadence n.
88. deference (DEF ur uns) n. – submission to another’s will; respect; courtesy. defer v. deferential adj.
89. deleterious (del uh TIR ee us) adj. – harmful to health or well-being.
90. demagogue (DEM uh gawg) n. – one who tries to stir up people’s emotions to win them over and so gain power; demagoguery n. – the methods of a demagogue.
91. demography (dem OG ruf ee) n. – the statistical study of human populations. demographer n. demographic adj. demographics n. – demographic characteristics of a population, such as age, ethnicity, income, etc., used for research purposes.
92. denizen (DEN uh zun) n. – an inhabitant or frequenter of a particular place.
93. depravity (di PRAV uh tee) n. – extreme wickedness or corruption. depraved adj.
94. despot (DES puht) n. – an absolute ruler or autocrat; anyone in charge who acts like a tyrant. despotic adj.
95. destitute (DES ti toot) adj. – lacking the necessities of life; living in complete poverty. destitution n.
96. diaspora (dye AS puh ruh) – any scattering of people with a common origin, background, beliefs, etc.
97. diatribe (DYE uh trybe) n. – a bitter, abusive denunciation.
98. dictum (DIK tum) n. – a pronouncement; adage, maxim or proverb; a formal statement of fact, opinion, principle, etc.
99. diffusion (dih FYOO zhen) n. – a spreading out or dissemination, as of news, cultures, etc. diffuse v. diffused adj.
100. diminution (di muh NOO shun) n. – the act or process of diminishing; reduction. diminutive adj.
101. discourse (DIS kawrs) n. – communication of ideas, information, etc., especially by talking; conversation; a long and formal treatment of a subject, in speech or writing; discoursing v. – to talk; confer.
102. discursive (dis KUR siv) adj. – rambling from one topic to another, usually aimlessly.
103. disparage (di SPAYR ij)v. – to belittle; to say uncomplimentary things about, usually in a somewhat indirect way.
104. disseminate (di SEM uh nayt) v. – to scatter far and wide; spread about; promulgate widely. dissemination n.
105. dissident (DIS uh dunt) n. – a person who disagrees or dissents; also adj. dissidence n.
106. doctrinaire (DAHK tri nayr) adj. – stubbornly adhering to a theory; n. – a person who does this regardless of the practical problems involved.
107. dogmatic (dawg MAT ik) adj. – of or like dogma [a doctrine or tenet strictly adhered to]; stating opinion positively or arrogantly without proof. dogmatism n. dogmatist n.
108. domestic (duh MES tik) adj. – having to do with the household or family; not foreign.
109. draconian (dray KOH nee un) adj. – harsh; severe; cruel.
110. dubious (DOO bee us) adj. – full of doubt; uncertain. dubiety n. indubitable adj. – beyond doubt.
111. ecumenical (ek yoo MEN uh cul) adj. – general or universal, esp. of the Christian church as a whole; furthering religious unity, esp. among Christian churches. ecumenism n.
112. egalitarian (i gal uh TAYR ee un) adj. – believing in the economic and social equality of all people. egalitarianism n.
113. egregious (i GREE jus) adj. – extremely bad; flagrant.
114. emergent (i MER gunt) adj. – rising; evolving; becoming visible or apparent. emerge v.
115. emigrate (EM uh grayt) v. – to leave one country or region and settle in another. migrate v. – to move from one place or country to another. immigrate v. – to arrive in one country from another. migration n.
116. eminent (EM uh nunt) adj. – prominent; renowned; distinguished. eminence n.