: 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
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That’s not to say that good intentions place Ellis’ order above appellate scrutiny, although in my opinion, her sole (but significant) misstep was failing to give her orders teeth by sanctioning government lawyers and holding DHS agents in contempt of court.
—
Seth Stern, Chicago Tribune, 12 Mar. 2026
Liberals currently hold a 4-3 advantage and hope Wisconsin Court of Appeals Judge Chris Taylor, who is backed by Democrats, can defeat conservative appellate Judge Maria Lazar on April 7.
—Jared Gans, The Hill, 10 Mar. 2026
The appellate court agreed and the district court case was dismissed.
—Virginia Hammerle, Dallas Morning News, 8 Mar. 2026
Erin Morrow Hawley is chair of Lex Politica’s Supreme Court and appellate practice and counsel at Alliance Defending Freedom.
—Erin Morrow Hawley, Washington Post, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for appellate
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Seth Stern, Chicago Tribune, 12 Mar. 2026
Liberals currently hold a 4-3 advantage and hope Wisconsin Court of Appeals Judge Chris Taylor, who is backed by Democrats, can defeat conservative appellate Judge Maria Lazar on April 7.
—Jared Gans, The Hill, 10 Mar. 2026
The appellate court agreed and the district court case was dismissed.
—Virginia Hammerle, Dallas Morning News, 8 Mar. 2026
Erin Morrow Hawley is chair of Lex Politica’s Supreme Court and appellate practice and counsel at Alliance Defending Freedom.
—Erin Morrow Hawley, Washington Post, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for appellate
Cite this Entry
“Appellate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/appellate. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids 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
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