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
Derived 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.
Far from abusing the courts with frivolous appeals, the exonerees we interviewed described being thwarted at every attempt due to appellate and postconviction processes that prioritize procedural regularity over the substance of their innocence claims.
From Slate • May 29, 2026
In June of 2008, an Inland Empire woman named Melissa began a tempestuous relationship with a woman named Irene, according to state appellate court records.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 25, 2026
This was a highly unusual request because, as Taraleigh Davis at SCOTUSblog confirms, “nobody had previously asked the court to halt such a major executive regulatory action before any appellate court had ruled on it.”
From Salon • Apr. 25, 2026
They also are crucial for cases in U.S. appellate courts, which are the last word on most matters.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026
I had to go back to an appellate court in California and argue to get that sentence replaced with a reasonable sentence.
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.
