Definition of "appeal"

(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.  examples

2. The legal document or form by which such an application is made; also, the court case in which the application is argued.  examples

3. A person's legal right to apply to court for such a review.  examples

4. (historical) An accusation or charge against someone for wrongdoing (especially treason).  quotations

   Quotations

   • 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, 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.  quotations

   Quotations

   • 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, [Act I, scene i]

6. (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.  quotations

1. (cricket) The act, by the fielding side, of asking an umpire for a decision on whether a batsman is out or not.  examples

(figuratively) A resort to some physical means; a recourse.  examples

(figuratively) A power to attract or interest.  examples

(rhetoric) A call to, or the use of, a principle or quality for purposes of persuasion.  examples

(historical) A summons to defend one's honour in a duel, or one's innocence in a trial by combat; a challenge.  quotations

(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.  quotations  examples

   Quotations

   • For if I [Jesus] be an offender, or haue committed any thing worthy of death, I refuſe not to die: but if there be none of theſe things whereof theſe accuſe me, no man may deliuer me vnto them. I appeale vnto Ceſar.

     1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], Acts 25:11, column 2

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).  quotations  examples

   Quotations

   • 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, archived from the original on 26 January 2021

3. (transitive, historical) To accuse or charge (someone) with wrongdoing (especially treason).  quotations

   Quotations

   • 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 /This shall not so be ended, said Sir Mador de la Porte, for here have I lost a full noble knight of my blood. And therefore upon this shame and despite I will be revenged to the utterance. And there openly Sir Mador appealed the queen of the death of his cousin Sir Patryse.]

     , book XVIII (in Middle English), [London: […] by William Caxton], published 31 July 1485, leaf 365, recto; republished as H[einrich] Oskar Sommer, editor, Le Morte Darthur […], London: David Nutt, […], 1889, page 729, lines 12–17

   • 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, [Act I, scene i]

   • He gan that Ladie ſtrongly to appele / Of many haynous crymes by her enured, / And with ſharpe reaſons rang her ſuch a pele, / That thoſe, whom ſhe to pitie had allured, / He now t'abhorre and loath her perſon had procured.

     1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book V, Canto IX”, in The Faerie Queene. […], part II (books IV–VI), London: […] [Richard Field] for William Ponsonby, stanza 39, page 307

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).

(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.  quotations

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?".  examples

(intransitive) To call upon someone for a favour, help, etc.  examples

(intransitive, figuratively) To have recourse or resort to some physical means.  quotations  examples

(intransitive, figuratively) To be attractive.  quotations  examples

(transitive, historical) To summon (someone) to defend their honour in a duel, or their innocence in a trial by combat; to challenge.  quotations