appellate

adjective

ap·​pel·​late ə-ˈpe-lət How to pronounce appellate (audio)
: 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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The ruling leaves the DOJ with a losing record in district court cases seeking such data, in addition to an earlier appellate loss. — Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 30 July 2026 Cloth appealed the jury verdict in that case, but it was upheld by the appellate court last year. — Gene Maddaus, Variety, 29 July 2026 The appellate court found that standing to sue requires a showing of actual harm — for instance, unauthorized access to or use of the data or a security breach of the system, the Legislature noted. — Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 July 2026 The judge also denied Wayfarer’s request to pause the case pending a possible appeal, noting that the parties’ May 2026 settlement of the underlying federal litigation included a waiver of appellate rights, making the request moot. — Elizabeth Rosner, PEOPLE, 27 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for appellate

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of appellate was in 1765

Rhymes for appellate

See All Rhymes for appellate

Browse Nearby Words

appellant
appellate
appellation
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Cite this Entry

“Appellate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/appellate. Accessed 4 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

appellate

adjective
ap·​pel·​late ə-ˈpel-ət How to pronounce appellate (audio)
: having the power to review the decisions of a lower court
an appellate court

Legal Definition

appellate

adjective
ap·​pel·​late ə-ˈpe-lət How to pronounce appellate (audio)
: of or relating to appeals or the power to hear appeals
the appellate process
an appellate court
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