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.
Like Joe Fernandez, these exonerees learned the hard way that the appellate system is not designed for them.
From Slate • May 29, 2026
The following September, an appellate court paused lawsuits against the rules so that the agency could review them and propose changes.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 29, 2026
“The nation is strong as is its commitment to the rule of law,” said one appellate judge, a Republican appointee.
From Los Angeles Times • May 24, 2026
And it asserts, correctly, that the 1st Circuit must promptly intervene “to protect its own appellate jurisdiction and the rights of the parties before it.”
From Slate • May 19, 2026
"Assistant district attorney. Judge: family court, state supreme court, appellate division. Appellate has two p's and two /'s. Never married, no children."
From "The Westing Game" by Ellen Raskin
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.
