adjective
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of or relating to appeals
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(of a tribunal) having jurisdiction to review cases on appeal and to reverse decisions of inferior courts
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of appellate
1720–30; < Latin appellātus called upon, named, appealed to (past participle of appellāre ), equivalent to ap- ap- 1 + pell- move, go + -ātus -ate 1
Explanation
The adjective appellate is good for talking about the legal process for hearing appeals. An appellate court of law mainly deals with people attempting to reverse legal decisions. After a defendant has been convicted of a crime, she has the opportunity to appeal that decision, or apply to have her case re-tried. The judge who would hear this new case is called an appellate judge, and the court in which the case would be heard is an appellate court. The word appellate is a legal way to say "relating to appeals," and its root is the Latin appellare, "to address, appeal to, or summon."
Vocabulary lists containing appellate
The Judicial System
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Bill Parcells' Hall of Fame Induction Speech
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The Judicial Branch
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“Absent a stay ... there will not be sufficient time to obtain appellate relief before the November election,” Sauer said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026
The appellate court concluded, however, that the state failed to meet the legal standard necessary to support the injunction because much of its evidence could not be considered in the civil case.
From Salon ● Jul. 25, 2026
In this case, you would need to file an appeal with an appellate court, a motion to modify alimony, and/or a motion to vacate a prior order.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 9, 2026
Last year, a state appellate court ruled that it was illegal for CPS to subject survivors of domestic violence to surveillance solely because they had been victimized.
From Slate ● Jul. 7, 2026
We kept getting very close decisions from appellate courts denying relief, and Mr. Hinton remained on death row facing execution.
From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
