AP World History General Vocabulary

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ocabulary-2632553

A.D/C.E

A.D- Anno Domini, translated as 'In the year of the Lord' C.E- Comm
on Era, abbreviated as CE, is an alternative naming of the tradition
al calendar era, Anno Domini.

Absolutism

The acceptance of or belief in absolute principles in political, philos

ophical, ethical, or theological matters.

Agriculture

The science or practice of farming, including cultivation of the soil f

or the growing of crops and the rearing of animals to provide

Aristocracy

1. The highest class in certain societies, esp. those holding heredita

ry titles or oces. 2. A form of government in which power is held
by the nobility.

B.C/B.C.E

B.C- Before Christ, Used to indicate that a date is before the Christi
an Era B.C.E- The abbreviation for Before the Common/Current/Chri
stian Era.

Bias

Prejudice in favor of or against one thing, person, or group compar

ed with another, usually in a way considered to be unfair.

Bureaucracy

1. A system of government in which most of the important decision

s are made by state ocials rather than by elected representatives
. 2. A state or organization governed or managed according to such
a system.

Chiefdom

A chiefdom is a type of complex society of varying degrees of cent

ralization that is led by an individual known as a chief

AP World History General Vocabulary

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ocabulary-2632553

City-State

a state consisting of a sovereign city

Civilization

1. The most advanced stage of human social development and org

anization. 2. The process by which a society or place reaches this s
tage.

Consumerism

1. The protection or promotion of the interests of consumers. 2. Th

e preoccupation of society with the acquisition of consumer goods

Demographic Shift

population aging occurs when the median age of a country or regio

n rises

Demography

1. The study of statistics such as births, deaths, income, or the inci

dence of disease, which illustrate the changing structure of human..
. 2. The composition of a particular human population:

Diusion

1. The spreading of something more widely. 2. The action of spread

ing the light from a light source evenly so as to reduce glare and h
arsh shadows

Divination

The practice of seeking knowledge of the future or the unknown by

supernatural means.

Dynasty

1. A line of hereditary rulers of a country 2. A succession of people

from the same family who play a prominent role in a certain eld.

AP World History General Vocabulary

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ocabulary-2632553

Economic Interaction

exchanges of goods and services between people

Economic System

the system of production and distribution and consumption

Empire

An extensive group of states or countries under a single supreme a

uthority, formerly esp. an emperor or empress.

Epidemic

A widespread occurrence of an infectious disease in a community a

t a particular time

Forager

someone who hunts for food and provisions

Global Context/Perspective

Context- This term could be used to describe situations etc. that im

pact the entire world. It could be used in a political sense or to desc
ribe natural phenomena such as the polar ice caps melting. Perspec
tive- the study of the larger world and our society's place in it.

Global Processes

events or changes that have aected the planet as a whole.

Hyperurbanization

It is the rapid and unchecked inux of migrants, usually but not exc
lusively, internal, into a city.

AP World History General Vocabulary

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ocabulary-2632553

Imperial Expansion

an imperialistic country expands by taking over other territories or

countries

Indentured Servant

An indentured servant was a worker, typically a laborer or tradesm

an, under contract to an employer for a xed period of time

Interregional

Of, involving, or connecting two or more regions

Kingdom

1. A country, state, or territory ruled by a king or queen. 2. A realm

associated with or regarded as being under the control of a particul
ar person or thing.

Lord/Vassal Relationship

The relationship between the lord and vassal, is that the lord gives
a portion of his land to a vassal which is a knight; to provide militar
y support and protection, before doing his duty the vassal swears a
n oath to be loyal to a particular lord and in turn the lord grant the
vassal a portion of his land and riches

Medieval

1. Of or relating to the Middle Ages. 2. Very old-fashioned or primiti

ve

Merchant

A person or company involved in wholesale trade, esp. one dealing

with foreign countries or supplying merchandise to a particular trad
e

Monotheism

The doctrine or belief that there is only one God.

AP World History General Vocabulary

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ocabulary-2632553

Nation-State

a political entity (a state) associated with a particular cultural entity

(a nation)

Neolithic

1. Of, relating to, or denoting the later part of the Stone Age, when
ground or polished stone implements prevailed. 2. The Neolithic per
iod.

Nobility

1. The quality of being noble in character, mind, birth, or rank. 2. T

he group of people belonging to the noble class in a country, esp. t
hose with a hereditary or honorary title

Nomad

A member of a people who have no permanent abode and travel fr

om place to place to nd fresh pasture for their livestock.

Ocean

1. A very large expanse of sea, in particular, each of the main area

s into which the sea is divided geographically 2. The sea

Paleolithic

1. Of, relating to, or denoting the early phase of the Stone Age, last
ing about 2.5 million years, when primitive stone implements were
used. 2. The Paleolithic period

Pandemic

An outbreak of such a disease

Papacy

1. The oce or authority of the pope. 2. The tenure of oce of a p

ope.

AP World History General Vocabulary

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ocabulary-2632553

Pastoral

A work of literature portraying an idealized version of country life.

Patriarchal

1. Of, relating to, or characteristic of a patriarch. 2. Of, relating to,

or characteristic of a system of society or government controlled b
y me

Periodization

the attempt to categorize or divide time into named blocks

Political Structure

The term political structure, used in a general sense, refers to instit

utions or groups and their relations to each other, their patterns of i
nteraction within political systems and to political regulations, laws
and the norms present in political systems in such a way that they
constitute the political landscape of the political entity

Polytheism

The belief in or worship of more than one god.

Prehistoric

1. Of, relating to, or denoting the period before written records. 2.

Very old, primitive, or out of date

Primary Source

original materials

Revolution

1. A forcible overthrow of a government or social order for a new s

ystem. 2. (in Marxism) The class struggle that is expected to lead to
political change and the triumph of communism.

AP World History General Vocabulary

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ocabulary-2632553

Scribe

A person who copies out documents, esp. one employed to do this

before printing was invented

Sea

The expanse of salt water that covers most of the earth's surface
and surrounds its landmasses

Secondary Source

a document or recording that relates or discusses information origi

nally presented elsewhere

Serf

An agricultural laborer bound under the feudal system to work on hi

s lord's estate

Shaman

A person having access to, and inuence in, the world of spirits, es
p. among some peoples of northern Asia and North America

Slave

A person who is the legal property of another and is forced to obey

them

State

Of, provided by, or concerned with the civil government of a countr

y

Steppes

A large area of at unforested grassland in southeastern Europe or

Siberia.

AP World History General Vocabulary

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Urban

In, relating to, or characteristic of a city or town