appellate

adjective

ap·​pel·​late ə-ˈpe-lət How to pronounce appellate (audio)
: of, relating to, or recognizing appeals
specifically : having the power to review the judgment of another tribunal
an appellate court

Examples of appellate in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The administrative office said in announcing the changes that each court – district, bankruptcy and appellate – will make its own operational decisions. Bart Jansen, USA Today, 17 Oct. 2025 The evidence issue went up to the appellate court because prosecutors appealed Murphy’s ruling. Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 16 Oct. 2025 In 2020, the Supreme Court — in a roundabout way — ended the confusion by refusing to consider an appellate ruling that validated special taxes proposed by initiative and approved by simple majorities. Dan Walters, Oc Register, 14 Oct. 2025 That case initially resulted in a half-billion-dollar penalty before a New York appellate court rolled most of it back earlier this year. Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 13 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for appellate

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Medieval Latin appellātus, past participle of appellāre "to appeal against a judgment," going back to Latin, "to speak to, address, apply to for support, refer to a higher authority" — more at appeal entry 2

First Known Use

1765, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of appellate was in 1765

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Appellate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/appellate. Accessed 22 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

appellate

adjective
ap·​pel·​late ə-ˈpel-ət How to pronounce appellate (audio)
: having the power to review the decisions of a lower court
an appellate court

Legal Definition

appellate

adjective
ap·​pel·​late ə-ˈpe-lət How to pronounce appellate (audio)
: of or relating to appeals or the power to hear appeals
the appellate process
an appellate court
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