Definition of APPELLATIONS

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 appeller means "to call (by a name)," so Jacques' answer literally translates to "I call myself Jacques." Knowing the function of "appeller" makes it easy to remember that "appellation" refers to the name or title by which something is called or known. "Appeller" and "appellation" also share a common ancestor - the Latin appellare, meaning "to call or summon," formed by combining the prefix ad- ("to") with another verb, "pellere" ("to drive"). "Appellare" is also the root of our word appeal (by way of Anglo-French and Middle English), as well as "appellate," referring to a kind of court where appeals are heard.

Examples of appellation in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Wetzel’s was among the first wineries established in Sonoma County and played a key role in establishing the Alexander Valley appellation. — Margot Roosevelt, Los Angeles Times, "The latest casualty of Trump’s trade war with China? California wine," 18 Aug. 2019 Since guac is nearly half this establishment’s appellation, went for some guacamole as my side. — Matt Wake | Mwake@al.com, al, "Come for the beer gimmick, stay for the tasty tacos," 9 Aug. 2019 The new grapes — to be permitted only in the Bordeaux and Bordeaux Superieur appellations, and in relatively small amounts — include Portuguese varieties Touriga Nacional and Alvarinho. — Esther Mobley, SFChronicle.com, "Wine and barbecue, a perfect pairing," 4 July 2019 In Michael Lewis’s 2003 book Moneyball, which followed Beane through the ’01 and ’02 seasons, the GM refers to Kevin as Euclis, the Greek God of Walks—which is funny, because nothing in that appellation was entirely accurate. — Mark Bechtel, SI.com, "Former Red Sox Great Kevin Youkilis Crafting a New Path With California Brewery," 25 June 2019 Comet Interceptor will carry instruments capable of discerning such a comet’s ingredients, vintage and appellation—when and where it was made and from what. — Jonathan O'callaghan, Scientific American, "European Comet Interceptor Could Visit an Interstellar Object," 24 June 2019 Sauvignon blanc finds its spiritual home in France’s Loire Valley, especially in the prestigious appellation of Sancerre. — Dave Mcintyre, The Seattle Times, "These sauvignon blancs taste more expensive than they are," 6 Aug. 2018 Wines from the classic appellations (AOCs) in the Cotes de Beaune and Cotes de Nuits, from villages such as Volnay or Meursault or Chambolle-Musigny, are prohibitively expensive. — Patrick Comiskey, latimes.com, "Alternatives to Burgundy, from Burgundy," 29 June 2018 The official appellation, Viños de Madrid, encompasses three provinces with widely differing climate and geology. — New York Times, "Reviving Ancient Spanish Vineyards, Building New Traditions," 24 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'appellation.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.