appeal

American  

[uh-peel] / əˈpil /

noun

• appeals
  plural

1. an earnest request for aid, support, sympathy, mercy, etc.; entreaty; petition; plea.

   Synonyms:

   invocation, supplication, prayer

2. a request or reference to some person or authority for a decision, corroboration, judgment, etc.

   Synonyms:

   solicitation, suit

3. Law.

   1. an application or proceeding for review by a higher tribunal.

   2. (in a legislative body or assembly) a formal question as to the correctness of a ruling by a presiding officer.

   3. Obsolete. a formal charge or accusation.

4. the power or ability to attract, interest, amuse, or stimulate the mind or emotions.

   The game has lost its appeal.

   Synonyms:

   attraction

5. Obsolete. a summons or challenge.

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verb (used without object)

• appeals,
  present (3rd person singular)
• appealed,
  past participle,  past
• appealing
  present participle

1. to ask for aid, support, mercy, sympathy, or the like; make an earnest entreaty.

   The college appealed to its alumni for funds.

   Synonyms:

   ask, request

2. Law. to apply for review of a case or particular issue to a higher tribunal.

3. to have need of or ask for proof, a decision, corroboration, etc.

4. to be especially attractive, pleasing, interesting, or enjoyable.

   The red hat appeals to me.

verb (used with object)

• appeals,
  present (3rd person singular)
• appealed,
  past participle,  past
• appealing
  present participle

1. Law.

   1. to apply for review of (a case) to a higher tribunal.

   2. Obsolete. to charge with a crime before a tribunal.

idioms

1. appeal to the country, country.

appeal British  

/ əˈpiːl /

noun

1. a request for relief, aid, etc

2. the power to attract, please, stimulate, or interest

   a dress with appeal

3. an application or resort to another person or authority, esp a higher one, as for a decision or confirmation of a decision

4. law

   1. the judicial review by a superior court of the decision of a lower tribunal

   2. a request for such review

   3. the right to such review

5. cricket a verbal request to the umpire from one or more members of the fielding side to declare a batsman out

6. English law (formerly) a formal charge or accusation

   appeal of felony

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verb

1. (intr) to make an earnest request for relief, support, etc

2. (intr) to attract, please, stimulate, or interest

3. law to apply to a superior court to review (a case or particular issue decided by a lower tribunal)

4. (intr) to resort (to), as for a decision or confirmation of a decision

5. (intr) cricket to ask the umpire to declare a batsman out

6. (intr) to challenge the umpire's or referee's decision

Synonym Usage

Appeal, entreat, petition, supplicate mean to ask for something wished for or needed. Appeal and petition may concern groups and formal or public requests. Entreat and supplicate are usually more personal and urgent. To appeal is to ask earnestly for help or support, on grounds of reason, justice, common humanity, etc.: to appeal for contributions to a cause. To petition is to ask by written request, by prayer, or the like, that something be granted: to petition for more playgrounds. Entreat suggests pleading: The captured knight entreated the king not to punish him. To supplicate is to beg humbly, usually from a superior, powerful, or stern (official) person: to supplicate that the lives of prisoners be spared.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• appealability
  noun
• appealer
  noun
• nonappealability
  noun
• reappeal
  verb
• appealable
  adjective
• nonappealable
  adjective
• unappealed
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• appeals
  plural

Participles

• appealing
  present
• appealed
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• appeal
  simple
• appeals
  simple
• have appealed
  perfect
• has appealed
  perfect
• am appealing
  progressive
• are appealing
  progressive
• is appealing
  progressive
• have been appealing
  perfect progressive
• has been appealing
  perfect progressive

Past

• appealed
  simple
• had appealed
  perfect
• was appealing
  progressive
• were appealing
  progressive
• had been appealing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will appeal
  simple
• will have appealed
  perfect
• will be appealing
  progressive
• will have been appealing
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of appeal

First recorded in 1250–1300; (for the verb) Middle English a(p)pelen, from Anglo-French, Old French a(p)peler, from Latin appellāre “to speak to, address,” from ap- ap- ¹ + -pellāre “to push repeatedly,” stem of pellere “to drive, push, strike”; (for the noun) Middle English ap(p)el, from Anglo-French, Old French apel, noun derivative of ap(p)eler

Explanation

Appeal means "to ask, or address." If you appeal to someone's better nature, you're asking them for mercy. If a shirt doesn't appeal to you, you could also say it doesn't "speak" to you, or more simply, you don't like it. Appeal can also be used as a noun to refer to a request, as in "his parents ignored his appeal for a later curfew," or to refer to something's attractiveness or desirability, as in "we all agreed on the appeal of a tropical vacation." In judicial contexts, appeal means "to call upon a higher court to review a lower court's decision." If a lawyer appeals a court's conviction of her client, she's asking a higher court to throw the decision out. This word descends from the Latin appellare, "to address, call upon."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

appeal appeals appealed appealing

Listen to how eerie the thing actually is, how the harmonies capture the desperation, panic and preemptive grief of losing a love to someone whose appeal is undeniable.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 2026

Sami and his lawyers are still deciding whether to appeal the ruling, which Agostino views as a “split decision,” he said.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 25, 2026

By 1980, three consecutive No. 1 country singles cemented her cross-genre appeal, with one, “9 to 5,” simultaneously topping the pop charts.

From Salon ● Aug. 25, 2026

But a New York judge flatly rejected the appeal, describing it as "lengthy and rambling".

From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026

In a last-ditch effort, they hatched a plan to appeal directly to Penkovsky's bosses in the GRU—their sworn enemies—to plead for his life.

From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau

The judge warned Maxwell against making further appeals, saying it "would not be taken in good faith" by the court.

From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026

Both cases are expected to reach the state Supreme Court on expedited appeals.

From Salon ● Aug. 25, 2026

But he has been allowed to keep building while his administration pursued appeals.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

The U.S. court of appeals affirmed his order by a 2-1 vote on Aug. 7 but put the decision on hold until Friday.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026

Here daily came dozens of workers, reports, appeals.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom

As the couple looks for a home in San Diego, Jones appealed to fans to share what they love about their neighborhoods.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 2026

Sazerac, the hostile suitor, appealed directly to Brown family members.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 23, 2026

In television interviews, Paxton has noted this disparity and appealed to donors for help.

From Salon ● Aug. 22, 2026

Two weeks later, Connor had his ban lifted after he appealed.

From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026

“Professor Flitwick says the diadem vanished with Ravenclaw herself. People have looked, but,” she appealed to her fellow Ravenclaws, “nobody’s ever found a trace of it, have they?”

From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling

Do higher yields make bonds more appealing than stocks?

From Barron's ● Aug. 22, 2026

Another clear indication of a franchise running on fumes is that its most appealing element is now increasingly convoluted and tedious.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026

Its reversal suggests the carrier is trying to stay competitive and consistent, betting that more reliable onboard amenities will help it win customers while still appealing to budget-conscious travellers.

From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026

Meta is appealing the verdict, but thousands of such claims loom.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026

What they have in common, Volpe continues, is “they are still boys. And they enjoy being boys. It’s what is so appealing about them, what makes them so likable and perfect for these parts.”

From "Drama High" by Michael Sokolove

Related Words

• apply
• ask
• call
• call upon
• claim
• contest
• demand
• petition
• plead
• pray
• propose
• refer
• require
• submit
• sue
• urge