Adjacent Words

Appeal definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

APPE'AL, v.i. [L. apello; ad and pello, to drive or send; Gr. We do not see the sense of call in pello, but to drive or press out, is the radical sense of calling, naming. This word coincides in elements with L. balo, Eng. bawl, and peal.]
1. To refer to a superior judge or court, for the decision of a cause depending, or the revision of a cause decided in a lower court.
I appeal to Cesar. Acts 21.
2. To refer to another for the decision of a question controverted, or the counteraction of testimony or facts; as, I appeal to all mankind for the truth of what is alleged.
APPE'AL, v.t. To call or remove a cause from an inferior to a superior judge or court. This may be done after trial and judgment in the lower court; or by special statute or agreement, a party may appeal before trial, upon a fictitious issue and judgment. We say the cause was appealed before or after trial.
APPE'AL, v.t. In crimianal law, to charge with a crime; to accuse; to institute a criminal prosecution, for some hainous offense; as, to appeal a person of felony. This process was anciently given to a private person to recover the weregild, or private pecuniary satisfaction for an injury he had received by the murder of a relation, or by some personal injury.
APPE'AL, n.
1. The removal of a cause or suit from an inferior to a superior tribunal, as from a common pleas court to a superior or supreme court. Also the right of appeal.
2. An accusation; a process instituted by a private person against a man for some hainous crime by which he has been injured, as for murder, larceny, mayhem.
3. A summons to answer to a charge.
4. A call upon a person; a reference to another for proof or decision.
In an oath, a person makes an appeal to the Deity for the truth of his declaration.
5. Resort; recourse.
Every milder method is to be tried, before a nation makes an appeal to arms.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: earnest or urgent request; "an entreaty to stop the fighting"; "an appeal for help"; "an appeal to the public to keep calm" [syn: entreaty, prayer, appeal]
2: attractiveness that interests or pleases or stimulates; "his smile was part of his appeal to her" [syn: appeal, appealingness, charm]
3: (law) a legal proceeding in which the appellant resorts to a higher court for the purpose of obtaining a review of a lower court decision and a reversal of the lower court's judgment or the granting of a new trial; "their appeal was denied in the superior court"
4: request for a sum of money; "an appeal to raise money for starving children" [syn: solicitation, appeal, collection, ingathering] v
1: take a court case to a higher court for review; "He was found guilty but appealed immediately"
2: request earnestly (something from somebody); ask for aid or protection; "appeal to somebody for help"; "Invoke God in times of trouble" [syn: appeal, invoke]
3: be attractive to; "The idea of a vacation appeals to me"; "The beautiful garden attracted many people" [syn: attract, appeal] [ant: repel, repulse]
4: challenge (a decision); "She appealed the verdict"
5: cite as an authority; resort to; "He invoked the law that would save him"; "I appealed to the law of 1900"; "She invoked an ancient law" [syn: invoke, appeal]

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Etymology: Middle English appel, from Anglo-French apel, from apeler Date: 13th century 1. a legal proceeding by which a case is brought before a higher court for review of the decision of a lower court 2. a criminal accusation 3. 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 appeal> 4. the power of arousing a sympathetic response ; attraction <movies had a great appeal for him> II. verb Etymology: Middle English appelen to accuse, appeal, from Anglo-French apeler, literally, to call, summon, from Latin appellare, from appellere to drive to, from ad- + pellere to drive — more at felt Date: 14th century transitive verb 1. to charge with a crime ; accuse 2. to take proceedings to have (a lower court's decision) reviewed in a higher court intransitive verb 1. to take a lower court's decision to a higher court for review 2. to call upon another for corroboration, vindication, or decision 3. to make an earnest request <appealed to them for help> 4. to arouse a sympathetic response <that idea appeals to him> • appealability noun • appealable adjective • appealer noun

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v. & n. --v. 1 intr. make an earnest or formal request; plead (appealed for calm; appealed to us not to leave). 2 intr. (usu. foll. by to) be attractive or of interest; be pleasing. 3 intr. (foll. by to) resort to or cite for support. 4 Law a intr. (often foll. by to) apply (to a higher court) for a reconsideration of the decision of a lower court. b tr. refer to a higher court to review (a case). c intr. (foll. by against) apply to a higher court to reconsider (a verdict or sentence). 5 intr. Cricket call on the umpire for a decision on whether a batsman is out. --n. 1 the act or an instance of appealing. 2 a formal or urgent request for public support, esp. financial, for a cause. 3 Law the referral of a case to a higher court. 4 attractiveness; appealing quality (sex appeal). Derivatives: appealer n. Etymology: ME f. OF apel, apeler f. L appellare to address

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Appeal Ap*peal", v. t. 1. (Law) To apply for the removal of a cause from an inferior to a superior judge or court for the purpose of re["e]xamination of for decision. --Tomlins. I appeal unto C[ae]sar. --Acts xxv. 11. 2. To call upon another to decide a question controverted, to corroborate a statement, to vindicate one's rights, etc.; as, I appeal to all mankind for the truth of what is alleged. Hence: To call on one for aid; to make earnest request. I appeal to the Scriptures in the original. --Horsley. They appealed to the sword. --Macaulay.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Appeal Ap*peal", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Appealed; p. pr. & vb. n. Appealing.] [OE. appelen, apelen, to appeal, accuse, OF. appeler, fr. L. appellare to approach, address, invoke, summon, call, name; akin to appellere to drive to; ad + pellere to drive. See Pulse, and cf. Peal.] 1. (Law) (a) To make application for the removal of (a cause) from an inferior to a superior judge or court for a rehearing or review on account of alleged injustice or illegality in the trial below. We say, the cause was appealed from an inferior court. (b) To charge with a crime; to accuse; to institute a private criminal prosecution against for some heinous crime; as, to appeal a person of felony. 2. To summon; to challenge. [Archaic] Man to man will I appeal the Norman to the lists. --Sir W. Scott. 3. To invoke. [Obs.] --Milton.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Appeal Ap*peal", n. [OE. appel, apel, OF. apel, F. appel, fr. appeler. See Appeal, v. t.] 1. (Law) (a) An application for the removal of a cause or suit from an inferior to a superior judge or court for re["e]xamination or review. (b) The mode of proceeding by which such removal is effected. (c) The right of appeal. (d) An accusation; 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 offense against the public. (e) An accusation of a felon at common law by one of his accomplices, which accomplice was then called an approver. See Approvement. --Tomlins. --Bouvier. 2. A summons to answer to a charge. --Dryden. 3. A call upon a person or an authority for proof or decision, in one's favor; reference to another as witness; a call for help or a favor; entreaty. A kind of appeal to the Deity, the author of wonders. --Bacon. 4. Resort to physical means; recourse. Every milder method is to be tried, before a nation makes an appeal to arms. --Kent.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(appeals, appealing, appealed) Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English. 1. If you appeal to someone to do something, you make a serious and urgent request to them. The Prime Minister appealed to young people to use their vote... He will appeal to the state for an extension of unemployment benefits... The United Nations has appealed for help from the international community. VERB: V to/for n to-inf, V to n for n, V for n 2. An appeal is a serious and urgent request. Romania's government issued a last-minute appeal to him to call off his trip. = petition N-COUNT: oft N for/to n, N to-inf 3. An appeal is an attempt to raise money for a charity or for a good cause. ...an appeal to save a library containing priceless manuscripts... N-COUNT: oft N to-inf, N for n 4. If you appeal to someone in authority against a decision, you formally ask them to change it. In British English, you appeal against something. In American English, you appeal something. He said they would appeal against the decision... We intend to appeal the verdict... Maguire has appealed to the Supreme Court to stop her extradition. VERB: V against n, V n, V to n to-inf 5. An appeal is a formal request for a decision to be changed. Heath's appeal against the sentence was later successful... The jury agreed with her, but she lost the case on appeal. N-VAR see also Court of Appeal 6. If something appeals to you, you find it attractive or interesting. On the other hand, the idea appealed to him... VERB: V to n 7. The appeal of something is a quality that it has which people find attractive or interesting. Its new title was meant to give the party greater public appeal... = attraction N-UNCOUNT: with supp see also sex appeal 8. see also appealing

Easton's Bible Dictionary

a reference of any case from an inferior to a superior court. Moses established in the wilderness a series of judicatories such that appeals could be made from a lower to a higher (Ex. 18:13-26.)

Under the Roman law the most remarkable case of appeal is that of Paul from the tribunal of Festus at Caesarea to that of the emperor at Rome (Acts 25:11, 12, 21, 25). Paul availed himself of the privilege of a Roman citizen in this matter.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

In the institution of judges by Moses (Ex 18:26), the reference: "The hard cases they brought unto Moses, but every small matter they judged themselves," indicates simply a distribution of cases between two courts, but gives no trace of any provision for the rehearing of any case, by a higher court, that has already been decided by a lower. In De 17:8-13, directions are given that a lower court, under certain conditions, shall ask a higher for instructions as to procedure, and shall strictly follow the order prescribed: nevertheless, the decision itself belongs to the lower court. When its sentence was once given, there was no appeal.

In the New Testament, the provision of the Roman law, for an appeal from a lower to a higher court, is clearly recognized, although the case of Paul in Ac 25 does not strictly fall within its scope. The Roman law originally gave a citizen the right of appeal to the tribune of the people, but, with the establishment of the Empire, the emperor himself assumed this function of the tribune, and became the court of last resort. The case of Paul, however, had not been tried before Festus, nor any verdict rendered, when (Ac 25:10,11) he utters the proper legal formula: "I appeal unto Caesar" (Kaisara epikaloumai). That Roman citizens could insist upon such procedure, as right, is not perfectly certain (HJP, II, 2 279). Paul evidently acted upon the suggestion of the governor himself (Ac 25:9), who seems to have been desirous of avoiding the responsibility of a case involving questions most remote from his ordinary attention. At first sight, Paul's decision to appeal seems premature. He throws away his chance of acquittal by Festus, and acts upon the assumption that he has been already condemned. Ac 26:32 shows that the possibility of his acquittal had amounted almost to a certainty. His course is explicable only by regarding his appeal the master stroke of a great leader, who was ready to take risks. In the proposition of Festus, he grasps at what had been an object of hope long deferred.

For many years, he had been desiring and praying to get to Rome (Ac 19:21; Ro 1:11,15; 15:23,24). The Lord had just assured him (Ac 23:11), that as he had testified at Jerusalem, "so must thou bear witness also at Rome." With this promise and direction in view, he hastens toward the world's capital and the center of the world's influence, in the seemingly precipitate words, "I appeal," which a lower order of prudence would have deferred until he had first been condemned.

H. E. Jacobs

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. v. n. 1. (Law.) Seek reference of the case or cause (from one court to another). 2. Sue to another (in any controversy). II. v. a. 1. (Rare.) Summon, challenge, accuse, indict. 2. (Law.) Refer, transfer by appeal (from one court to another). III. n. 1. Address, invocation, petition, request, entreaty, imploration, application, solicitation, suit. 2. Resort, recourse.

Moby Thesaurus

Angelus, Ave, Ave Maria, Hail Mary, Kyrie Eleison, Paternoster, acceptability, adjuration, adjure, adorability, agacerie, agreeability, aid prayer, allure, allurement, amiability, appeal motion, appeal to, appealingness, application, application for retrial, apply, asking, attract, attraction, attractiveness, be attractive, beadroll, beads, beckon, beg, beguile, beguilement, beguiling, beseech, beseechment, bewitchery, bewitchment, bid, bidding prayer, blandishment, brace, breviary, cajolery, call, call for help, call on, call upon, captivation, certiorari, chaplet, charisma, charm, charmingness, clamor, clamor for, collect, come-hither, communion, conjure, contemplation, crave, cry, cry for, cry on, cry to, delightfulness, desirability, devotions, draw, drawing power, enchantment, engage, enravishment, enthrallment, enticement, entrancement, entrapment, entreat, entreaty, excite, exquisiteness, fascinate, fascination, fetch, flirtation, forbidden fruit, glamour, grace, impetrate, impetration, imploration, implore, imploring, importune, imprecate, imprecation, inducement, intercession, interest, intrigue, inveiglement, invitation, invite, invitingness, invocation, invocatory plea, invoke, kneel to, likability, litany, lovability, loveliness, lovesomeness, lure, luxury, magnetism, meditation, obsecration, obtest, obtestation, orison, petition, plea, plead, plead for, pleasantness, please, pray, prayer, prayer wheel, provocativeness, pull, request, requesting, rogation, rosary, run to, seducement, seduction, seductiveness, sensuousness, sex appeal, silent prayer, snaring, solicit, solicitation, sue, sue for, suit, summon, supplicate, supplication, sweetness, tantalization, tantalize, tantalizingness, tease, tempt, temptation, temptingness, thanks, thanksgiving, tickle, titillate, unobjectionableness, voluptuousness, whet the appetite, winning ways, winningness, winsomeness, witchcraft, witchery, wooing, writ of certiorari, writ of error