appeal

Etymology 1

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.

noun

1. (law)
   1. An application to a superior court or judge for a decision or order by an inferior court or judge to be reviewed and overturned.
   2. The legal document or form by which such an application is made; also, the court case in which the application is argued.
   3. A person's legal right to apply to court for such a review.
      I have an appeal against the lower court decision.
   4. (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
   5. (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.
   6. (historical) At common law, an accusation made against a felon by one of their accomplices (called an approver).
2. 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.
   [W]hile they received the doctrine of the Trinity as an infinite mystery, far above their reason, they contended against that of transubstantiation as capable of being tried by human faculties, and as contradicted by an appeal to them. 1808, Walter Scott, “The Hind and the Panther, a Poem. In Three Parts. [commentary]”, in John Dryden, The Works of John Dryden,[…], volume X, London: […] [F]or William Miller,[…], by James Ballantyne and Co.[…], →OCLC, page 99
   1. (cricket) The act, by the fielding side, of asking an umpire for a decision on whether a batsman is out or not.
3. (figurative) A resort to some physical means; a recourse.
4. (figurative) A power to attract or interest.
5. (rhetoric) A call to, or the use of, a principle or quality for purposes of persuasion.
6. (historical) A summons to defend one's honour in a duel, or one's innocence in a trial by combat; a challenge.

Etymology 2

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.

verb

1. (law)
   1. (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.
   2. (transitive, originally US) 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. 28 December 2016, 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, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2021-01-26
   3. (transitive, historical) To accuse or charge (someone) with wrongdoing (especially treason).
   4. (transitive, historical) Of a private person: to instituted legal proceedings (against another private person) for some heinous crime, demanding punishment for the particular injury suffered.
   5. (transitive, historical) Of the accomplice of a felon: to make an accusation at common law against (the felon).
2. (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.
   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 clear and determinate than those of our translation. 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
   1. (intransitive, cricket) 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?".
3. (intransitive) To call upon someone for a favour, help, etc.
   I appeal to all of you to help the orphans.
4. (intransitive, figurative) To have recourse or resort to some physical means.
5. (intransitive, figurative) To be attractive.
   That idea appeals to me.
6. (transitive, historical) To summon (someone) to defend their honour in a duel, or their innocence in a trial by combat; to challenge.