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appeal definition

ap·peal (ə pēl)

transitive verb

  1. to make a request to a higher court for the rehearing or review of (a case)
  2. Obsolete to accuse of a crime

Etymology: ME apelen < OFr apeler < L appellare, to accost, apply to, appeal; iterative < appellere, to prepare < ad-, to + pellere: see felt

intransitive verb

  1. to appeal a law case to a higher court
  2. to make an urgent request (to a person for help, sympathy, etc.)
  3. to resort or turn (to) for decision, justification, etc. to appeal to logic
  4. to be attractive, interesting, etc.; arouse a favorable response her argument appealed to me

noun

  1. a call upon some authority or person for a decision, opinion, etc.
  2. an urgent request for help, sympathy, etc.
  3. a quality in a person or thing that arouses interest, sympathy, desire, etc.; attraction
  4. Obsolete an accusation
  5. Law
    1. the transference of a case to a higher court for rehearing or review
    2. a request for this
    3. the right to do this
    4. a case thus transferred

Related Forms:

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Alternate definitions:
appeal Synonyms

appeal

n.

  1. A plea

    request, plea, bid, claim, suit, submission, solicitation, petition, question, imploring, recourse, entreaty, prayer, invocation, supplication, address, demand, importunity, call, requisition, application, overture, proposition, proposal, call for aid, earnest request, adjuration.

    Antonyms denial*, refusal*, renunciation. *

  2. Action to carry a case to a higher court

    petition, motion, application, request for retrial, request for review.

  3. Attractiveness

    attractiveness, attraction, charm, glamour, interest, allure, charmingness, seductiveness, engagingness, winsomeness, desirability, fascination, magnetism, charisma, sex appeal.


appeal

v.

  1. To ask another seriously

    entreat, request, petition, implore, beseech, plead, solicit, beg, supplicate, importune, urge, adjure, pray, sue; see also beg 1.

  2. To carry a case to a higher court

    apply for a retrial, retry, contest, bring new evidence, advance, reopen, refer to, review.

  3. To attract

    interest, attract, engage, fascinate, tempt, tantalize, awaken a response, invite, entice, allure, captivate, intrigue, attract one's interest, enchant, beguile, please, catch one's eye; see also fascinate.

appeal implies an earnest, sometimes urgent request and in legal usage connotes resort to a higher court or authority; plead, applied to formal statements in court answering to allegations or charges, carries into general usage the implication of entreaty by argument she pleaded for tolerance; sue implies respectful or formal solicitation for redress, a favor, etc.; petition implies a formal request, usually in writing and in accordance with established rights; pray and supplicate suggest humility in entreaty and imply that the request is addressed to God or to a superior authority, supplicate in addition suggesting a kneeling or other abjectly prayerful attitude


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

appeal Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • dismiss: For the reasons he gives I would dismiss the appeal.

Preposition: against

  • refusal: What do you identify as grounds for a formal appeal against a refusal to grant a consent?

Adjective modifier

  • esthetic: They are extremely hard wearing whilst keeping a high esthetic appeal due to the glass particles within the mix.

Modifies a noun

  • tribunal: A disability appeal tribunal confirmed the rejection of his claim.

Noun used with modifier

  • tsunami: They also did some fundraising for the tsunami appeal.
appeal usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

appeal quotes

Mad about the boy, It's pretty funny but I'm mad about the boy. He has a gayappeal That makes me feel There may be something sad about the boy.

-Coward, Sir Noe«  l Peirce

   Only two classes of books are of universal appeal. The very best and the very worst.

-Ford, Ford Madox originally Ford Hermann Hueffer

appeal quotes (more)

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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MLA Style

"appeal." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 5 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/appeal>

APA Style

appeal. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 5th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/appeal

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