appeal

1 of 2

noun

ap·​peal ə-ˈpēl How to pronounce appeal (audio)
Synonyms of appealnext
1
law : a legal proceeding by which a case is brought before a higher court for review of the decision of a lower court
2
a
: an application (as to a recognized authority) for corroboration, vindication, or decision
b
: an earnest plea : entreaty
an appeal for help
c
: an organized request for donations
the annual fundraising appeal
3
: the power of arousing a sympathetic response : attraction
Movies had a great appeal for him.
4
law : a criminal accusation

appeal

2 of 2

verb

appealed; appealing; appeals

intransitive verb

1
: to arouse a sympathetic response
an idea that appeals to him
2
: to make an earnest request
We appealed to them for help.
3
law : to take a lower court's decision to a higher court for review
4
: to call upon another for corroboration, vindication, or decision

transitive verb

1
law : to take proceedings to have (a lower court's decision) reviewed in a higher court
2
law : to charge with a crime : accuse
appealability
ə-ˌpē-lə-ˈbi-lə-tē How to pronounce appeal (audio)
noun
appealable
ə-ˈpē-lə-bəl How to pronounce appeal (audio)
adjective
appealer noun

Synonyms

Noun

Verb

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 

Examples of appeal in a Sentence

Noun Her jokes are quickly losing their appeal. the wide appeal of the artist's work His appeals to his father for money were ignored. The mayor made an appeal to the people of the city to stay calm. We made a donation during the school's annual appeal. She helped to organize an appeal on behalf of the homeless. My lawyer said the court's decision wasn't correct and that we should file for an appeal. Verb music that appeals to a wide variety of people The government appealed for calm. desperate people who are appealing for help The government appealed to the people to stay calm. He appealed, arguing that there was not enough evidence to convict him. She lost the case and appealed the following month. We plan to appeal the court's decision. The ruling can be appealed within 30 days.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Submit an appeal online through the DisasterAssistance.gov account; by mail to FEMA National Processing Service Center, P.O. Box 10055, Hyattsville, MD 20782-7055; or via fax to 800-827-8112 (Attention FEMA). —Maura Fox, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Apr. 2024 Long considered more of a chore than a luxury, applying sunscreen has newfound appeal, thanks in part to the latest formulas on the shelves. —Deanna Pai, Vogue, 3 Apr. 2024 See all Example Sentences for appeal 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'appeal.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English apeel, appel, appele "accusation brought in court, challenge to trial by combat, legal application to a higher court," borrowed from Anglo-French appel, appell "call, summons, accusation of felony, legal application to a higher court," noun derivative of apeler, appeler "to call, summon, call before a court" — more at appeal entry 2

Verb

Middle English appelen, apelen "to call upon, accuse, make a charge against in court, challenge, apply to a higher court," borrowed from Anglo-French apeler, appeler "to call, summon, call before a court," borrowed from Latin appellāre "to speak to, address, apply to for support, refer to a higher authority, call upon, name, designate," from ap-, assimilated form of ad- ad- + -pellāre, first-conjugation verb formed from the base of pellere "to beat against, push, strike" — more at pulse entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of appeal was in the 13th century

Phrases Containing appeal

Dictionary Entries Near appeal

appeach

appeal

appealing

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Appeal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/appeal. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.

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Kids Definition

appeal

1 of 2 noun
ap·​peal ə-ˈpē(ə)l How to pronounce appeal (audio)
1
: a legal proceeding by which a case is brought to a higher court for review
2
: an asking for something badly needed or wanted : plea
an appeal for help
3
: the power to cause enjoyment : attraction
movies had a great appeal for him

appeal

2 of 2 verb
1
: to make a legal appeal
2
: to call upon another for a decision
appealed to the umpire
3
: to ask for something badly needed or wanted
4
: to be pleasing or attractive
the idea appeals to her

Legal Definition

appeal

1 of 2 noun
ap·​peal ə-ˈpēl How to pronounce appeal (audio)
: a proceeding in which a case is brought before a higher court for review of a lower court's judgment for the purpose of convincing the higher court that the lower court's judgment was incorrect
also : a proceeding for the review of an agency decision at a higher level within the agency or in a court see also affirm compare certiorari, new trial, rehearing

Note: The scope of an appeal is limited. The higher court will review only matters that were objected to or argued in the lower court during the trial. No new evidence can be presented on appeal.

appealability
ə-ˌpē-lə-ˈbi-lə-tē How to pronounce appeal (audio)
noun
appealable
ə-ˈpē-lə-bəl How to pronounce appeal (audio)
adjective

appeal

2 of 2 transitive verb
: to take (a lower court's decision) before a higher court for review : undertake an appeal of (a case)

intransitive verb

: to take a lower court's decision to a higher court for review
Etymology

Noun

Old French apel, from apeler to call, accuse, appeal, from Latin appellare

More from Merriam-Webster on appeal

Nglish: Translation of appeal for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of appeal for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about appeal

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