Origin: Latin suffix -ate
Appellate has 2 different meanings across 1 category:
That can be (legally) appealed to, especially of a court that hears appeals of decisions by a lower court.
"The appellate court reviewed the case after hearing arguments from both sides regarding the lower court's ruling."
In plain English: Appellate means related to reviewing decisions made by lower courts instead of making new ones from scratch.
"The appellate court reviewed the lower judge's decision to set aside his verdict."
Usage: Use appellate specifically for courts or procedures involving appeals; avoid confusing it with the noun appeal. In legal contexts, do not substitute this adjective with general terms like "higher" unless emphasizing the appellate function is unnecessary.
The word appellate comes from the Latin verb appellare, which originally meant to call upon or summon someone. It entered English through legal usage to describe actions taken by a higher court reviewing a lower court's decision.