AP English Language and Composition Exam: Rhetorical and Literary Terms, List 1

Ensure you're prepared for the AP English Language and Composition Exam by learning the words in this collection of essential vocabulary. Our lists cover the language you'll see in test questions and writing prompts, important rhetorical and literary terminology, and vocabulary related to writing and grammar.
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. counterargument
    an opinion offered in opposition to another position
  2. deductive
    relating to reasoning from the general to the particular
  3. didactic
    instructive, especially excessively
  4. ethos
    a rhetorical appeal that relies on the character or credibility of the speaker
  5. euphemism
    an inoffensive expression substituted for an offensive one
  6. exemplify
    clarify by giving an illustration of
  7. exposition
    an account that sets forth the intent of a story
  8. fallacy
    a misconception resulting from incorrect reasoning
  9. implication
    a meaning that is not expressly stated but can be inferred
  10. inductive
    proceeding from particular facts to a general conclusion
Created on Wed Jun 04 12:32:21 EDT 2025

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