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

Kramer currently serves as solicitor general for Minnesota, defending the constitutionality of state laws and representing Minnesota in state and federal appellate courts. —Dale Morin, Twin Cities, 24 Nov. 2025

The three-judge appellate panel upheld a lower court’s 2023 dismissal of the case. —Ted Johnson, Deadline, 18 Nov. 2025

Then, in September 2025, an appellate court struck down Florida’s long-standing ban on the open carry of firearms. —Caroline Light, The Conversation, 17 Nov. 2025

The effort dates to 2020, when former Texas appellate Justice John Browning, a law professor at Faulkner University, first approached Alvin Parker, who died in 2022. —Ray Sanchez, CNN Money, 15 Nov. 2025

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