Appeal (law)

Etymology

From Old French “apeler,” from Latin “appellare” (to address, call upon, entreat) — the same source as “appellation.” To appeal is literally to “call upon” a higher authority; the everyday sense of something that “appeals” to you is the same word softened into mere attraction.

noun · /uh-PEEL/
A formal request asking a higher court to review and possibly overturn a lower court’s decision.
What it names
The mechanism that keeps a single trial from being the last word — reach for it to name the second chance built into the system, and to correct people who think a loss is automatically the end.
Example
They lost at trial but won on appeal, when the higher court found the evidence had been wrongly admitted.
Related idea
An appeal generally argues that the law was misapplied on the existing record — it is not a retrial, which reopens the facts and hears the evidence anew.
noun · /uh-PEEL/
The quality of being attractive or interesting; the power to draw people in.
What it names
why something is liked or wanted.
Example
The city’s appeal lies in its old streets and cheap rents.
Related idea
Overlaps with affinity, the pull we feel toward what attracts us.
noun / verb · /uh-PEEL/
An earnest public request for something, especially help or money.
What it names
a charity’s plea, or a call for calm.
Example
Police issued an appeal for witnesses.
Related idea
All three senses share the root sense of calling out to a higher power for a response.