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.
The New Jersey Appellate Division said the firm should be booted because of the connections to Mr. Conlan.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026
The majority grounded its conclusion in Rule 4 of the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure.
From Slate • Jun. 16, 2025
Bonta appealed Wednesday to the 4th Appellate District, where the state hopes for a more favorable hearing.
From Los Angeles Times • May 29, 2025
Riggs beat her opponent, Appellate Judge Jefferson Griffin, by just 734 votes, a slim margin twice confirmed by recounts.
From Salon • Apr. 29, 2025
Appellate Division of the State Supreme Court The heirs watched the jaunty doorman pull out a chair for the judge.
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.
