antinomy (en)

a contradiction between two beliefs or conclusions that are in themselves reasonable; a paradox

antiphrasis (en)

(noun) the usually ironic or humorous use of words in senses opposite to the generally accepted meanings (as in “this giant of 3 feet 4 inches”)

antiquarian (en)

(noun) one who collects or studies antiquities / (adjective) of or relating to antiquarians or antiquities / (adjective) dealing in old or rare books

antitax movement (en)

a political movement to lower or eradicate taxation, especially for corporations

aperient (en)

(adjective) gently moving the bowels; laxative

aperçu (en)

(borrowed from French) a comment or brief reference that makes an illuminating or entertaining point

apical (en)

(adjective) of, relating to, or situated at an apex / (adjective) of, relating to, or formed with the tip of the tongue / (noun) inhibition of the growth of lateral buds by the terminal bud of a shoot / (noun) a meristem at the apex of a root or shoot that is responsible for increase in length

apodictic (en)

(adjective) expressing or of the nature of necessary truth or absolute certainty

apogee (en)

(noun) the point in the orbit of an object (as a satellite) orbiting the earth that is at the greatest distance from the center of the earth / (noun) the point farthest from a planet or a satellite (as the moon) reached by an object orbiting it / (noun) the farthest or highest point; culmination

apophatic (en)

(adj, theology) (of knowledge of God) obtained through negating concepts that might be applied to him

apophenia (en)

the tendency to perceive a connection or meaningful pattern between unrelated or random things

apophrades (en)

a term defined by literary critic Harold Bloom as "return of the dead"; the author is encumbered by his previous state of solitude and holds his work open for inspection with that of his predecessors

aporetic (en)

skeptical, tending to doubt

aporetic duplication (en)

part of French professor Lucien Dällenbach's three-part theory of mise-en-abyme; a sequence that is supposed to enclose the work that encloses it

aporia (en)

(noun) an expression of real or pretended doubt or uncertainty especially for rhetorical effect / (noun) a logical impasse or contradiction / (noun) a radical contradiction in the import of a text or theory that is seen in deconstruction as inevitable

apostate (en)

a person who renounces a religious or political belief or principle; the general form is "apostasy"

apothegm (en)

a concise saying or maxim; an aphorism

apotheosis (en)

the highest point in the development of something; culmination or climax

apotropaic (en)

(adjective) designed to avert evil

apparatchiks (en)

members of a communist party apparat (apparatus)

appoggiatura (en)

(noun) an embellishing note or tone preceding an essential melodic note or tone and usually written as a note of smaller size

apposite (en)

(adjective) highly pertinent or appropriate; apt

approbatory (en)

(noun) proof / (noun) an act of approving formally or officially / (noun) commendation, praise

appurtenances (en)

(noun) an incidental right (as a right-of-way) attached to a principal property right and passing in possession with it / (noun) a subordinate part or adjunct / (noun) accessory objects; apparatus

apriority (en)

(philosophy) The quality or state of being known a priori