appellation

noun

ap·​pel·​la·​tion ˌa-pə-ˈlā-shən 

1

: an identifying name or title : designation

was entitled to the appellation "doctor"

2

: a geographical name (as of a region, village, or vineyard) under which a winegrower is authorized to identify and market wine

also : the area designated by such a name

3

archaic : the act of calling by a name

Did you know?

Ask a Frenchman named Jacques his name, and you may very well get the reply, "Je m'appelle Jacques." The French verb appeler means "to call (by a name)," so Jacques' answer literally translates to "I call myself Jacques." Knowing the function of appeler makes it easy to remember that appellation refers to the name or title by which something is called or known. Appeler and appellation also share a common ancestor: Latin appellāre, meaning "to call upon, name, or designate," formed by combining the prefix ad- ("to") with another verb, pellere ("to beat against, push, or strike"). Appellāre is also the root of English's appeal (by way of Anglo-French and Middle English), as well as appellate, which is used to indicate a court where appeals are heard.

Synonyms

• appellative
• cognomen
• compellation
• denomination
• denotation
• designation
• handle
• moniker
• monicker
• name
• nomenclature
• title

Examples of appellation in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

One final note, while Sancerre is best-known as a white wine, there are two other wines in the appellation: Sancerre Rouge and Sancerre Rosé. —Tom Hyland, Forbes.com, 1 May 2025

His wife Meghan was bestowed with similar privileges on their May 19, 2018 royal wedding day, becoming the Duchess of Sussex with the HRH appellation. —Janine Henni, People.com, 29 Apr. 2025

Special Wine Growing Regions on Mallorca The island also has two official appellations, or Denominations of Origin (DO), as they are referred to in Spain. —Liz Thach, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025

The most prominent Southern Rhône appellations, producing Grenache-heavy blends, are Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Gigondas. —Mike Desimone and Jeff Jenssen, Robb Report, 18 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English appellacyon, borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French appellacion, borrowed from Latin appellātiōn-, appellātiō "name, designation, noun, appeal," from appellāre "to speak to, address, apply to for support, refer to a higher authority, call upon, name, designate" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of verbal action; in sense 2 borrowed from French, going back to Middle French — more at appeal entry 2

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for appellation

• abdication
• aberration
• abjuration
• abnegation
• abrogation
• acceptation
• acclamation
• acclimation
• accusation
• activation
• actuation
• acylation

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Kids Definition

appellation

noun

ap·​pel·​la·​tion ˌap-ə-ˈlā-shən 

: an identifying or descriptive name or title