143 Words AP History Students Should Know

12.23.25 04:36 PM - By Claire B.

Introduction

Background Information

What Is Academic Vocabulary?

Other Resources?

The Words

Agriculture and the Environment

Industry and Business

Emotions and Actions

Politics and Law

Miscellaneous

The Words

Agriculture and the Environment

Arable: Land that can be used to grow crops.

Cultivation: Land used to grow crops - OR - spending time or attention to improve something (especially a skill, character, or relationships)

Flourish: To thrive or grow well - OR - to make elaborate movements or use elaborate language.

Maritime: Related to the sea or the coast.

Navigable: A body of water that is deep and wide enough that ships can pass through it.

Phenomena: A thing or event that can be understood by using one's senses.

Seaboard: The land near the sea, including the coastline.

Subsistence: Having just enough to survive. (Subsistence farming is when a family grows food to eat themselves, instead of selling for a profit.)

Watershed: An area of land where water flows into a specific body of water - OR - a significant change or development.

Industry and Business

Allocate: To set aside for a purpose.

Allot: To divide, given, or assign.

Calico: A cotton cloth originally made in Calicut, India that was printed with bright patterns - OR - anything that has similar distinctive patterns. (Like calico cats.)

Commerce: Buying, selling, or trading goods. (Related to commercials, commodities, and the Commerce Clause.)

Commodity: Anything moveable that is bought and sold, typically in large quantities.

Defray: To pay or discharge a debt or expense.

Enterprise: A business, venture, or project.

Livelihood: A way to support one's self, including a job or other source of income.

Mechanize: To use machinery to replace human or animal labor, especially in agriculture and industry.

Merchandise: Physical products that are for sale.

Muslin: A thin cloth that is usually made from cotton.

Patronize: To financially support an artist, scholar, or business - OR - to treat someone in a condescending manner.

Provision: Supplies that will be used later - OR - the act of preparing for a future event.

Specialize: To become an expert in a specific field.

Textile: Material made from fibers. Textiles include fabric, yarn, and thread.

Being Human

Admonition: A warning or reprimand

Animosity: Active hatred.

Astonish: To surprise greatly.

Avail: To use an opportunity or resource. (Similar to available.)

Beseech: To beg, implore, or request.

Bestow: To give a gift or honor to someone else.

Concord: The condition of peace, harmony, and agreement.

Console: The act of providing comfort. (A consolation prize is given to the loser in a sport or contest.)

Covenant: A promise or agreement.

Endure: To continue despite hardships.

Envision: To picture something in one's mind.

Espouse: To accept or support.

Establish: To start, form, or make stable - OR - to prove something is true. (An establishment is a business or organization. The Establishment is a country's ruling class, including economic and political elites.)

Esteem: To respect or view positively.

Exploit: To take advantage of someone or something.

Fidelity: Faithfulness, loyalty, or accuracy.

Foster: To nurture or care for a person, animal, or character trait.

Impose: To inconvenience - OR - to use force to make something mandatory.

Incite: To stir up or excite - OR - to rouse into action.

Incorrigible: Unmanageable and unwilling to be corrected or change.

Indifferent: Lacking concern or care - OR - having no preference.

Indignity: An insult to one's pride, humiliation.

Indiscriminate: Thoughtless or without care.

Instigate: To encourage a bad or harmful action.

Lament: To express sadness or regret - OR - to weep or mourn.

Recalcitrant: Stubborn or disobedient towards authority figures.

Reciprocal: A feeling or action that is mutual.

Sentiment: A feeling that is often characterized as weak or foolish. (Closely related to sentimental.)

Whim: An impulse.

Politics, Government, and the Law

Agitation: Using discussion or emotional appeals to influence public opinion. Disrupting or stirring up people.

Alderman: A voting member of a city government.

Allegation: An unproven statement that another person has done something wrong.

Arbitrary: A decision that is random or made without good reason.

Ascertain: To discover, establish, find out, or prove.

Assert: To declare or defend a claim - OR - to ensure respect.

Bureau: An administrative unit of a government. Typically, bureaus collect information, oversee projects, and provide updates to the public. (Many bureaus form a bureaucracy. Bureaus are run by bureaucrats.)

Campaign: A series of actions taken to achieve a specific goal. (A military campaign is a series of battles to conquer territory. A political campaign is a series of attempt to persuade voters.)

Cession: Land, property, or rights that are formally given up or transferred to another party. (The land Mexico gave up after the Mexican-American War is called the Mexican Cession.)

Circumstance: Something that affects a fact or event.

Commission: The authority to do something or a group with the authority to carry out a task - OR - the act of committing a crime. (A commissioner is a member of a group that carries out a specific task.)

Compact: An agreement.

Console: An official who lives in a foreign place. The official's job is to protect the interests of the citizens from their home country who also live abroad.

Conviction: A determination that someone is guilty of a crime - OR - a firmly held belief.

Despotism: A oppressive government that rules with absolute power.

Dictate: To speak so that someone can write down your words -OR - to command, control, or determine (like a dictatorship.)

Dispatch: To send a message quickly - OR - to destroy something quickly.

Dynasty: A series of rulers from one family - OR - a period of time where one family ruled. (Song Dynasty, Ming Dynasty, etc. Also used to refer to a family that "rules" over a business.)

Extraterritorial: Located outside of a country, and therefore not subject to that country's laws.

Formation: To assemble into a group or structure - OR - a moving arrangement of military troops.

Fortification: A wall or other structure created to defend a place from attack. (Fortify means to strengthen a location's defenses. Note that the word "fort" appears in "fortification.")

Fundamental: A rule or principle that forms the basis of a system.

Grievance: A complaint about hardship or unfairness. (There are 27 grievances listed in the Declaration of Independence.)

Hereditary: Passed from parents to offspring. (In politics, consider hereditary monarchs and hereditary privilege.)

Impartial: Treating everyone equally or fairly.

Imperial: Related to an empire or it's rulers (an emperor or empress)

Inaugural: The beginning of an operation or venture. (AP US History students often study the Inaugural Addresses of various presidents.)

Institution: A custom or practice of a society (like marriage) - OR - a respected organization that relates to education, public service, or charity.

Insurrection: A revolt or uprising against a government or authority.

Interest group: A group that tries to influence public opinion and political policies.

Justify: To argue that one is right - OR - to provide reasons or an explanation for one's actions.

Liable: Legally obligated or responsible.

Martial Law: Rule by military authorities, usually starts during a time of war or other crisis.

Oppression: Exercising unjust power over another person or a group of people.

Ordinance: A local law, usually passed by a city.

Oust: To remove or expel.

Patriarchal: A system where men have authority over women.

Patriotic: Devotion, loyalty, and support for one's own country.

Polity: A politically-organized group of people.

Posse: A group of people assisting law enforcement - OR - a group of hostile people.

Precinct: A part of the city patrolled by a specific group of police. It can also refer to the police station in this area.

Province: A government division in some countries that is similar to a US state.

Radical: Favoring fundamental or far-reaching change.

Regiment: A military unit that is made up of several smaller units called battalions.

Statesman: A political leader recognized for their leadership and promoting the public good. (An elder statesman is an experienced man who can give advice on political issues.)

Stenographer: Someone skilled in creating a written record of speech.

Tyrant: A cruel and unjust ruler - OR - someone who abuses their power.

Usurpation: Unjustly taking something by force.

Vigilante: A person who acts outside the law to punish someone for committing a crime. (Batman is a vigilante.)

Miscellaneous

Aboriginal: First or original according to historical records. People living in an areas before European colonization. (In the modern world, this term refers to most of the people who lived in Australia prior to the arrival of Europeans and their descendants. Historical documents may use this term to refer to groups of people (like Native Americans) who do not typically prefer this term.)

Actual: Existing in reality.

Analogous (to): Something that resembles or corresponds to something else. (Like an analogy.)

Appertain: To belong or relate to something.

Chauvinist: Bias or favoritism to one's own group or cause. (Most often used in reference to extreme patriotism or preference for the male gender.)

Constitute: To set up, enact, or form. (Like the Constitution set up the US government.)

Corpus: A collection of writings with shared characteristics or themes.

Duration: A particular interval of time - OR - the length of time it will take for a situation to end.

Dwindle: To decrease or diminish.

Engrave: To carve symbols or text into an object.

Ensue: To follow.

Exemplify: To serve as an example.

Fallacious: False, deceptive, or misleading (like a fallacy.)

Ignoble: Common or dishonorable.

Illustrious: Admired and respected.

Inadequate: Not fit for a specific purpose.

Indispensable: Necessary or required.

Individualistic: Treating the individual as more important than society.

Inevitable: Impossible to avoid or prevent - OR - a predictable outcome.

Intellectual: Related to thinking, judging, reasoning, or intelligence.

Interposition: Something that comes between two other things.

Inviolable: Not capable of being broken, corrupted, or dishonored. ("Violable" has the same root as "violate." "In" means "not" when used as a prefix.)

Lavish: Spending excessively - OR - extravagant.

Machismo: Pride in being masculine - OR - emphasizing specific traits associated with being a man.

Magnitude: The size, extent, or importance of something. (Similar to "evaluate the extent")

Maxim: A brief rule or saying. Maxims typically relate to morality or correct behavior. ("A penny saved is a penny earned" is a maxim.)

Muse: A person who inspires arts - OR - to think.

Notorious: A person who is famous, usually for doing something bad.

Panacea: A solution to all problems.

Perspective: A person's point of view or outlook.

Plight: An unfortunate circumstance.

Predominance: Common or dominant.

Rigid: Stiff, fixed, or uncompromising.

Scholar: A specialist in a particular field of knowledge.

Simultaneous: Happening at the same time.

Sordid: Dirty, distasteful, or morally degrading.

Stigmatize: To characterize something as shameful.

Subtle: Barely noticeable or clever.

Systematic: Following a planned, orderly procedure (the word "system" appears in "systematic.")

Vindicate: To prove someone innocent of an accusation or criticism.

Ward: To keep safe or protect - OR - A person who is being protected - OR - part of a hospital.

143 Words AP History Students Should Know

Table of Contents

The Words

Agriculture and the Environment

Industry and Business

Being Human

Politics, Government, and the Law

Miscellaneous