appeal

Syllables: ap·peal/əˈpiːl//əˈpiːl/

appeal noun: an application to a superior court or judge for a decision or order by an inferior court or judge to be reviewed and overturned.

Noun

appeal (countable and uncountable, plural appeals)

An application to a superior court or judge for a decision or order by an inferior court or judge to be reviewed and overturned.
The legal document or form by which such an application is made; also, the court case in which the application is argued.
A person's legal right to apply to court for such a review.
- I have an appeal against the lower court decision.
(historical) An accusation or charge against someone for wrongdoing (especially treason).
- Anciently an appeal lay for high treaſon. […] But it ſeems to be taken away by the ſt[atute] 1 H[enry] 4. 14. And now, if murder be made treaſon, an appeal does not lie.1793, John Comyns, Stewart Kyd, “Appeal”, in A Digest of the Laws of England. […], 4th edition, volume I, Dublin: Luke White, →OCLC, page 515
(historical) A process which formerly might be instituted by one private person against another for some heinous crime demanding punishment for the particular injury suffered, rather than for the offence against the public; an accusation.
- Ovld Iohn of Gaunt time honoured Lancaſter, / Haſt thou according to thy oath and bande / Brought hither Henrie Herford thy bolde ſonne, / Here to make good the boiſtrous late appeale, / Which then our leyſure would not let vs heare / Againſt the Duke of Norfolke, Thomas Moubray?1595 December 9 (first known performance), [William Shakespeare], The Tragedie of King Richard the Second. […] (First Quarto), London: […] Valentine Simmes for Androw Wise, […], published 1597...
(historical) At common law, an accusation made against a felon by one of their accomplices (called an approver).
A call to a person or an authority for a decision, help, or proof; an entreaty, an invocation.
- He made an appeal for volunteers to help at the festival.
- As for the Caſting vp of the Eyes, and Lifting vp of the Hands, it is a kinde of Appeale to the Deity; Which is the Author, by Power, and Prouidence, of Strange Wonders.1631, Francis [Bacon], “VIII. Century. [Experiments in Consort, Touching the Impressions, which the Passions of the Minde Make vpon the Body.]”, in Sylua Syluarum: Or A Naturall Historie. In Ten...
Synonyms:

cri de coeur
1. The act, by the fielding side, of asking an umpire for a decision on whether a batsman is out or not.
(figuratively) A resort to some physical means; a recourse.
(figuratively) A power to attract or interest.
- The shows’ viewer appeal is simple: they’re family-friendly, good-natured and easy to play along with.2007 August 30, James Poniewozik, “No Talent Required”, in Time, archived from the original on 19 May 2025
- It's blowing a gale and this holiday destination loses all its appeal in an instant in weather like this.2026 January 7, 'Mystery Shopper', “Cornish cream - without the jams?”, in RAIL, number 1052, page 48
(rhetoric) a use of a principle or quality for purposes of persuasion.
(historical) A summons to defend one's honour in a duel, or one's innocence in a trial by combat; a challenge.
- Nor ſhall the Sacred Character of the King / Be urg'd, to ſhield me from thy bold appeal.1690, [John] Dryden, Don Sebastian, King of Portugal: […], London: […] Jo. Hindmarsh, […], →OCLC, Act IV, scene i, page 106

Verb

appeal (third-person singular simple present appeals, present participle appealing, simple past and past participle appealed)

(intransitive) Often followed by against (the inferior court's decision) or to (the superior court): to apply to a superior court or judge for a decision or order by an inferior court or judge to be reviewed and overturned.
- Dissatisfied with the judge’s ruling, she decided to appeal.
- He was advised by his lawyer to appeal against his conviction.
(transitive) To apply to a superior court or judge to review and overturn (a decision or order by an inferior court or judge).
- The plaintiff appealed the decision to the appellate court.
- The supreme court of Victoria has upheld a decision the transfer of juvenile detainees to an adult maximum security prison, where some of them spent Christmas Day, was unlawful. The [Daniel] Andrews government had appealed the original decision, which was handed down last week.2016 December 28, Calla Wahlquist, “Supreme court upholds ruling that children are being held at adult prison unlawfully”, in Katharine Viner, editor, The Guardian, London: Guardian News & Media...
(historical, transitive) To accuse or charge (someone) with wrongdoing (especially treason).
- This ſhalle not ſo be ended ſaid ſyr Mador de la porte / for here haue I loſte a ful noble knyght of my blood / And therfore vpon this ſhame & deſpyte I wille be reuenged to the vtteraunce / and there openly ſir Mador appeled the quene of the dethe of his coſyn ſir patryſe /[1470–1485 (date produced), Thomas Malory, “Capitulum Tercium”, in [Le Morte Darthur], book XVIII (in Middle English), [London: […] by William Caxton], published 31 July 1485, →OCLC, leaf 365, recto...
- We thanke you both, yet one but flatters vs, / As well appeareth by the cauſe you come, / Namely to appeale each other of high treaſon: […]1595 December 9 (first known performance), [William Shakespeare], The Tragedie of King Richard the Second. […] (First Quarto), London: […] Valentine Simmes for Androw Wise, […], published 1597...
(historical, transitive) Of a private person: to instituted legal proceedings (against another private person) for some heinous crime, demanding punishment for the particular injury suffered.
(historical, transitive) Of the accomplice of a felon: to make an accusation at common law against (the felon).
(intransitive) To call upon a person or an authority to corroborate a statement, to decide a controverted question, or to vindicate one's rights; to entreat, to invoke.
- And we are as willing to appeal to the Scripture as you.1692, John Milton, chapter II, in [Joseph Washington], transl., A Defence of the People of England, […]: In Answer to Salmasius’s Defence of the King, [London?]: [s.n.], →OCLC, page 18
- If I should sometimes have occasion, which will be but seldom, to appeal to the Scriptures in the original language, it will not be to impose a new sense upon the texts which I may find it to my purpose to produce, but to open and ascertain the meaning, where the original expressions may be more...a. 1807, Samuel Horsley, “Sermon I. St. James v. 8. For the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.”, in Sermons, volume I, New York, N.Y.: […] T. and J. Swords, […], published 1811, →OCLC, page 2
Synonyms:

adjure
1. (intransitive) Of a fielding side; to ask an umpire for a decision on whether a batsman is out or not, usually by saying "How's that?" or "Howzat?".
(intransitive) To call upon someone for a favour, help, etc.
- I appeal to all of you to help the orphans.
- What is more, I call upon the greater part of you as witnesses to my statement, and I appeal to all of you who have ever listened to me talking (and there are a great many to whom this applies) to clear your neighbours’ minds on this point.1954, Plato, translated by Hugh Tredennick, “Socrates on Trial: The Apology”, in The Last Days of Socrates (Penguin Classics), Harmondsworth, Middlesex: Penguin Books, →OCLC, pages 21–22
Synonyms:

adjure
(figuratively, intransitive) To have recourse or resort to some physical means.
- Among the claimants were the mightiest sovereigns of the continent: there was little chance that they would submit to any arbitration but that of the sword; and it could not be hoped that, if they appealed to the sword, other potentates who had no pretension to any part of the disputed inheritance...1861, Thomas Babington Macaulay, chapter XXIII, in Lady Trevelyan (Hannah More Macaulay), editor, The History of England from the Accession of James the Second, volume V, London: Longman, Green...
(figuratively, intransitive) To be attractive.
- That idea appeals to me.
- The humor of my proposition appealed more strongly to Miss Trevor than I had looked for, and from that time forward she became her old self again; for, even after she had conquered her love for the Celebrity, the mortification of having been jilted by him remained.1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter VIII, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC, page 110
(historical, transitive) To summon (someone) to defend their honour in a duel, or their innocence in a trial by combat; to challenge.
- […] I have friends, I have followers—man to man will I appeal the Norman to the lists; let him come in his plate and his mail, and all that can render cowardice bold; I have sent such a javelin as this through a stronger fence than three of their war shields!1819 December 20 (indicated as 1820), Walter Scott, Ivanhoe; a Romance. […], volume I, Edinburgh: […] Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Hurst, Robinson, and Co. […], →OCLC, page 57

appeal meaning in Hindi, Tamil, Urdu and Bengali

appeal in Hindi

application to a superior court or judge for a decision or order by an inferior court of judge to be reviewed and overturned: याचिका yācikā, अपील apīl
(intransitive) to apply to a superior court or judge for a decision or order by an inferior court or judge to be reviewed and overturned: याचिका yācikā

appeal in Tamil

application to a superior court or judge for a decision or order by an inferior court of judge to be reviewed and overturned: மேல்முறையீடு mēlmuṟaiyīṭu

appeal in Urdu

appeal, petition: درخواست darxvāst

appeal in Bengali

application to a superior court or judge for a decision or order by an inferior court of judge to be reviewed and overturned: আপিল apil

More languagesFewer languages

appeal in Malayalam: സഹായത്തിനും ദയയ്ക്കും അപേക്ഷിക്കുക, താഴ്മയായി ആവലാതി ബോധിപ്പിക്കുക, ഗൗരവമായി അഭ്യർത്ഥിക്കുക, സങ്കടഹർജി
appeal in Kannada: ಮೇಲ್ಮನವಿ, ಮೇಲ್ಮನವಿ ಸಲ್ಲಿಸುವಿಕೆ, ಅಪೀಲು, ಎರಕೆ
appeal in Arabic: اِلْتِمَاس iltimās, اِسْتِئْنَاف istiʔnāf, اِسْتَأْنَفَ istaʔnafa
appeal in Indonesian: banding
appeal in Persian: فرجامخواهی, استیناف, گیرایی, جاذبه

Examples of appeal in a sentence

The applicant now seeks leave to appeal and, if leave be granted, to appeal against these sentences.
The governor stayed the execution until the appeal could be heard.
Once he ran out of appeals, he knew he would soon feel the sting of the whip.

All 40 example sentences with appeal

Synonyms of appeal

Forms of appeal

Noun
plural	appeals
alternative form	appeale
alternative form	appeall
Verb
third-person singular present	appeals
present participle	appealing
past participle	appealed
past	appealed

Past tense of appeal: appealed

Plural of appeal: appeals

Origin of appeal

From Middle English apel, appel (“formal accusation brought in court; a challenge to trial by combat; an appeal to a higher court or authority; plea (for mercy, protection, etc.); pealing (of bells)”) [and other forms], from Old French apel (“a call”) (modern French appel (“a call; an appeal”)), from apeler (“to call; to call out”), from Latin appellāre (“to address as, call by name; to drive, move to; to land or put ashore”), alternative form adpellāre, from ad- (prefix meaning ‘to; towards’) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂éd (“at; to”)) + pellere (“to drive, impel, push; to hurl, propel; to banish, expel; to eject, thrust out”) + -āre, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *pelh₂- (“to approach”), from *pel- (“to beat; to drive; to push”). Doublet of appel.

From Middle English apelen, appelen (“to accuse; to make a formal charge before a court, etc., impeach; to challenge to trial by combat; to apply to a higher court or authority for review of a decision; to call upon for a decision, favour, help, etc.; to call by a name”) [and other forms], from Old French apeler (“to call; to call out”); see further at etymology 1.

Phrases with appeal

Words that rhyme with appeal

48 more rhymesFewer rhymes

Questions about appeal

What does appeal mean?: Appeal means an application to a superior court or judge for a decision or order by an inferior court or judge to be reviewed and overturned.
What is appeal in Hindi?: Appeal in Hindi is याचिका (yācikā), अपील (apīl). See Appeal meaning in Hindi.
What part of speech is appeal?: Appeal can be a noun or a verb.
How do you pronounce appeal?: Appeal is pronounced /əˈpiːl/ (UK).
What is the plural of appeal?: The plural of appeal is appeals.

Words near appeal in the dictionary

Adapted from Wiktionary: appeal (page history and authors); درخواست (Urdu) (page history and authors); appeal (Malayalam Wiktionary) (page history and authors); appeal (Kannada Wiktionary) (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

Last updated: 2026-09-02

Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-appeal.wav, En-us-appeal.ogg, En-au-appeal.ogg.

Cite this entry: “appeal.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/appeal. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.