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 of appellation

• moniker
• name
• title
• nomenclature
• designation
• epithet
• nickname

Examples of appellation in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

It is surrounded by such famous wine appellations as the Russian River Valley, Alexander Valley, Chalk Hill, Dry Creek Valley, and Sonoma Coast AVAs. —Liz Thach, Forbes.com, 6 June 2026

So of course a nation famed for its exacting culture and being the most visited in the world—clocking 102 million international tourists in 2025—has a very specific appellation system for its luxury hotels. —Matt Ortile, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 June 2026

He was granted the official haute couture appellation by the end of the year and Charlotte Casiraghi wore a Giambattista Valli haute couture gown to the wedding of Prince Albert II of Monaco that year, days before the first show. —Miles Socha, Footwear News, 20 May 2026

While Louis Jadot makes wine from more than 100 different Burgundy appellations, Résonance is a much more focused affair, offering single-vineyard Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs, estate cuvées, and Willamette Valley bottlings for a total of 13 different wines each vintage. —Mike Desimone, Robb Report, 17 May 2026

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