court of appeals

American  

Also Court of Appeals

noun

Law.

1. (in the U.S. federal court system and some state court systems) an appellate court intermediate between the trial courts and the court of last resort.

2. the highest appellate court of New York State.

3. British. Court of Appeal, Supreme Court of Judicature

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court of appeals Cultural  

1. Courts, also called appellate courts, that are designed as part of the system of due process. Cases may be presented to these courts if a party is dissatisfied with the original court's decision. An appeal must demonstrate that a new decision is warranted, usually in light of new evidence or a persuasive argument that the Constitution was improperly interpreted. A case may be appealed to successively higher state or federal appellate courts until it reaches the United States Supreme Court. There are twelve federal courts of appeal, each covering a group of states called a “circuit.”

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Etymology

Origin of court of appeals

First recorded in 1885–90

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

court of appeals

“Every court to consider the question, now totaling seventeen district courts and a federal court of appeals, have unanimously rejected this clear federal overreach,” she said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026

Dozens of journalists and members of the public queued outside the Paris court of appeals from the early hours of Tuesday morning to hear the much-awaited verdict.

From BBC ● Jul. 7, 2026

Camp filed a friend-of-the-court brief urging the court of appeals to side with Murrin.

From MarketWatch ● Feb. 27, 2026

He had just been named to the U.S. court of appeals in Boston.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 9, 2025

Here he served two terms in the Kentucky legislature, was presiding judge of the general court, circuit judge, and chief-justice of the court of appeals.

From The Settlement of Illinois, 1778-1830 by Boggess, Arthur Clinton

Related Words

• appeals court
• appellate court