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

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

From MarketWatch • Feb. 27, 2026

Karen’s lawyer succeeded in getting an emergency stay at the 11th hour until a court of appeals judge can review her case further.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 19, 2025

They were later acquitted by a court of appeals.

From BBC • Oct. 28, 2025

“After retiring to his beloved New Hampshire in 2009, he continued to render significant service to our branch by sitting regularly on the court of appeals for the First Circuit,” Roberts said.

From Los Angeles Times • May 9, 2025

For those reasons, a court of appeals held that Grokster was not liable.

From The Public Domain Enclosing the Commons of the Mind by Boyle, James

Related Words

• appeals court
• appellate court