appellate

adjective

ap·​pel·​late ə-ˈpe-lət 

: 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

This week’s wins could unleash a barrage of new lawsuits, even if the verdicts are overturned in the appellate courts, as the companies, their supporters, and many 1st Amendment experts expect. —Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2026

And, last summer, a panel of appellate judges restored her award to the full amount. —Julia Haney, NPR, 28 Mar. 2026

As part of the legal fight over the ban, Anthropic also filed a complaint in an appellate court in Washington, DC, focusing on a law governing procedures for mitigating supply-chain risks in procurement. —Bloomberg, Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2026

But while the protective order was lifted, the appellate judges said the city may still withhold the videos on other grounds. —Sam Charles, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026

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

Rhymes for appellate

• chelate
• pellet
• prelate
• zealot

Kids Definition

appellate

adjective

ap·​pel·​late ə-ˈpel-ət 

: having the power to review the decisions of a lower court

an appellate court

Legal Definition

appellate

adjective

ap·​pel·​late ə-ˈpe-lət 

: of or relating to appeals or the power to hear appeals

the appellate process

an appellate court