AP World History Vocabulary Unit 1
adept
(adj.) highly proficient or expert at something (n.) somebody who is highly proficient or expert at something
aptitude
a natural tendency to do something well, especially one that can be further developed
cataclysm
a sudden and violent upheaval or disaster that causes great changes in society
bureaucracy
an administrative system, especially in a government, that divides work into specific categories carried out by special departments of non elected officials
cartel
an alliance of business companies formed to control production, competition, and prices; a political alliance among parties or groups having common goals
capitalism
an economic system based on the private ownership of the means of production and distribution of goods, characterized by a free competitive market and motivation by profit
abhorrent
arousing strong feelings of repugnance or disapproval
arbitrary
based solely on personal wishes, feelings, or perceptions, rather than on objective facts, reasons, or principles
authoritarian
belonging to or believing in a political system in which obedience to the ruling person or group is strongly enforced
analogous
describes body parts and organs that have equivalent functions but have evolved independently of one another in different plants or animals. The wings of birds, bats, and insect are analogous
agrarian
dominated by or relating to farming or rural life
arbitrate
intercede: act between parties with a view to reconciling differences
aristocracy
people of noble families or the highest social class; government of a country by a small group of people, especially a hereditary nobility
autonomous
politically independent and self-governing
argumentation
reasoning that proceeds methodically from a statement to a conclusion; the process of debating or discussing something
Amerindian
same as Native American
assimilation
the process of becoming part of or more like something greater
analysis
the separation of something into its constituents in order to find out what it contains, to examine individual parts, or to study the structure of the whole; the examination of something in detail in order to understand it better or draw conclusions from it
accumulate
to collect or obtain a large amount of something over a period of time
assess
to examine something in order to judge or evaluate it
abdicate
to give up a high office formally or officially, especially the throne
ameliorate
to make something better, or become better
alleviate
to make something such as pain or hardship more bearable or less severe
capitulate
to surrender, especially under agreed conditions; to give in to an argument, request, pressure, or something unavoidable
annex
to take over territory and incorporate it into another political entity, e.g. a country or state
