appeal

1 of 2

noun

ap·​peal ə-ˈpēl How to pronounce appeal (audio)
1
law : a legal proceeding by which a case is brought before a higher court for review of the decision of a lower court
2
a
: an application (as to a recognized authority) for corroboration, vindication, or decision
b
: an earnest plea : entreaty
an appeal for help
c
: an organized request for donations
the annual fundraising appeal
3
: the power of arousing a sympathetic response : attraction
Movies had a great appeal for him.
4
law : a criminal accusation

appeal

2 of 2

verb

appealed; appealing; appeals

intransitive verb

1
: to arouse a sympathetic response
an idea that appeals to him
2
: to make an earnest request
We appealed to them for help.
3
law : to take a lower court's decision to a higher court for review
4
: to call upon another for corroboration, vindication, or decision

transitive verb

1
law : to take proceedings to have (a lower court's decision) reviewed in a higher court
2
law : to charge with a crime : accuse
appealability noun
appealable adjective
appealer noun

Examples of appeal in a Sentence

Noun Her jokes are quickly losing their appeal. the wide appeal of the artist's work His appeals to his father for money were ignored. The mayor made an appeal to the people of the city to stay calm. We made a donation during the school's annual appeal. She helped to organize an appeal on behalf of the homeless. My lawyer said the court's decision wasn't correct and that we should file for an appeal. Verb music that appeals to a wide variety of people The government appealed for calm. desperate people who are appealing for help The government appealed to the people to stay calm. He appealed, arguing that there was not enough evidence to convict him. She lost the case and appealed the following month. We plan to appeal the court's decision. The ruling can be appealed within 30 days.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
There’s a plethora of factors to credit—the immense star power of the film’s lead-producer hybrid, the subject matter's multi-generational appeal, and the world’s most iconic doll come to life. Jamila Stewart, Vogue, 9 Mar. 2024 DeMarco, the Temple student, said Aetna denied a request for a second breathing machine, and then several appeals. Tom Murphy, Quartz, 9 Mar. 2024 Now, the radical start and enduring appeal of Cheech and Chong is getting the feature documentary treatment from director David Bushell in Cheech and Chong’s Last Movie. Mia Galuppo, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Mar. 2024 Under the terms of the bond, Chubb will only secure the appeal of the $83.3 million judgment, not any future appeals. Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 8 Mar. 2024 Whether the new mixture of talent and tone provides enough rationale for Netflix to invest its relatively new money is debatable for a show whose appeal, beyond the general atmosphere, mostly boils down to smoke and mirrors. Brian Lowry, CNN, 7 Mar. 2024 Qualified tax strategists, especially Enrolled Agents, are empowered to represent clients before the IRS in audits, appeals, and tax dispute resolutions, offering invaluable assistance during complex tax issues. Bryce Welker, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2024 Having a more robust lineup of sports programming likely is aimed at helping boost the appeal of the new service. Stephen Battaglio, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2024 Nina Luxenberg, a Tucson doctor, said digging massive pits and piling tailings in the mountains will ruin their appeal to both tourists and residents who seek the area out for recreation and birdwatching. Brandon Loomis, The Arizona Republic, 7 Mar. 2024
Verb
The first was shifting the focus of school toward appealing to the interests of the child, rather than transmitting ancient knowledge and wisdom, which these reformers considered élitist. Emma Green, The New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2024 During times of social change and uncertainty, conspiracy theories can be especially appealing. Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY, 10 Mar. 2024 The idea of permanently shifting an hour of daylight from the morning to the evening appealed to 46% of Americans. Kerry Breen, CBS News, 9 Mar. 2024 In an emotional speech just hours before Russia’s full-scale invasion, Zelensky appealed to the Russian people to rise up. Serhiy Morgunov, Washington Post, 8 Mar. 2024 That appeals to a broader swath of the Portuguese public, particularly because the previous government came down amid several headline-dominating corruption scandals. Dominique Soguel, The Christian Science Monitor, 8 Mar. 2024 Former President Donald Trump is appealing New York writer E. Jean Carroll's defamation lawsuit after a jury awarded her $83 million in damages. John Tufts, The Indianapolis Star, 8 Mar. 2024 Porter on Wednesday delayed her ruling from taking effect, as Trump is expected to appeal the decision, and the Supreme Court is expected to weigh in. USA TODAY, 29 Feb. 2024 Defense attorneys have already vowed to appeal the conviction. Jessica Moore, CBS News, 28 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'appeal.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English apeel, appel, appele "accusation brought in court, challenge to trial by combat, legal application to a higher court," borrowed from Anglo-French appel, appell "call, summons, accusation of felony, legal application to a higher court," noun derivative of apeler, appeler "to call, summon, call before a court" — more at appeal entry 2

Verb

Middle English appelen, apelen "to call upon, accuse, make a charge against in court, challenge, apply to a higher court," borrowed from Anglo-French apeler, appeler "to call, summon, call before a court," borrowed from Latin appellāre "to speak to, address, apply to for support, refer to a higher authority, call upon, name, designate," from ap-, assimilated form of ad- ad- + -pellāre, first-conjugation verb formed from the base of pellere "to beat against, push, strike" — more at pulse entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of appeal was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near appeal

Cite this Entry

“Appeal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/appeal. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

appeal

1 of 2 noun
ap·​peal ə-ˈpē(ə)l How to pronounce appeal (audio)
1
: a legal proceeding by which a case is brought to a higher court for review
2
: an asking for something badly needed or wanted : plea
an appeal for help
3
: the power to cause enjoyment : attraction
movies had a great appeal for him

appeal

2 of 2 verb
1
: to make a legal appeal
2
: to call upon another for a decision
appealed to the umpire
3
: to ask for something badly needed or wanted
4
: to be pleasing or attractive
the idea appeals to her

Legal Definition

appeal

1 of 2 noun
ap·​peal ə-ˈpēl How to pronounce appeal (audio)
: a proceeding in which a case is brought before a higher court for review of a lower court's judgment for the purpose of convincing the higher court that the lower court's judgment was incorrect
also : a proceeding for the review of an agency decision at a higher level within the agency or in a court see also affirm compare certiorari, new trial, rehearing

Note: The scope of an appeal is limited. The higher court will review only matters that were objected to or argued in the lower court during the trial. No new evidence can be presented on appeal.

appealability noun
appealable adjective

appeal

2 of 2 transitive verb
: to take (a lower court's decision) before a higher court for review : undertake an appeal of (a case)

intransitive verb

: to take a lower court's decision to a higher court for review
Etymology

Noun

Old French apel, from apeler to call, accuse, appeal, from Latin appellare

More from Merriam-Webster on appeal

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