Meaning of appeal In English

• 0 a request to the public for money, information, or help:

  • They're launching (= starting) an appeal to raise money for famine victims.

  • [ + to infinitive ] The police have issued an appeal to the public to stay away from the area over the weekend.

• 1 a request made to a court of law or to someone in authority to change a previous decision:

  • The case went to the court of appeal/the appeal court.

  • He won his appeal and the sentence was halved.

  • She has lodged (= made) an appeal against the severity of the fine.

• 2 the quality in someone or something that makes him, her, or it attractive or interesting:

  • sex appeal

  • Spielberg's movies have a wide appeal.

  • This used to be a marvellous hotel but it has lost its appeal in recent years.

• 3 to make a serious or formal request, especially to the public, for money, information, or help:

  • They're appealing for clothes and blankets to send to the devastated region.

  • The police are appealing to the public for any information about the missing girl.

  • I tried to appeal to (= ask for support based on) his sense of loyalty, stressing how good the company had been to him.

  • [ + to infinitive ] Church leaders have appealed to the government to halt the war.

• 4 to request a higher court of law to consider again a decision made by a lower court, especially in order to reduce or prevent a punishment:

  • The teenager has been given leave (= allowed) by the High Court to appeal against her two-year sentence.

  • They're appealing to the court to reduce the sentence to a fine.

  • The parents appealed against the school's decision not to admit the child.

  • The players appealed to the referee for a free kick.

• 5 to interest or attract someone:

  • It's a programme designed to appeal mainly to 16 to 25-year-olds.

  • I think what appeals to me about his painting is his use of colour.

  • UK I haven't been skiing - it's never really appealed.

• 6 to be interesting or attractive:

  • Such music managed to appeal to the tastes of both young and old.

• 7 to request formally that a decision, esp. a legal or official one, be changed:

  • [ T ] The verdict was appealed to a higher court.

• 8 to make a serious or formal request for help, esp. in an emergency:

  • Blood supplies are running low, and the Red Cross is appealing for blood donations.

• 9 the quality of being interesting or attractive:

  • Eating out has lost much of its appeal.

• 10 a formal request that a decision, esp. a legal or official one, be changed:

  • [ U ] The decision was reversed on appeal.

• 11 a serious or formal request for help, esp. in a public emergency:

  • Many charities issued an appeal for contributions to help victims of the earthquake.

• 12 a request to a law court or other official organization to change a previous decision:

  • lodge/launch/make an appeal He has 28 days to lodge an appeal in the High Court.

  • an appeal against sth Her appeal against the dismissal was rejected.

  • We feel we have plenty of grounds for appeal.

  • an employment/income tax appeal

  • an appeal hearing/tribunal

  • the appeals procedure/process

• 13 a request for something, especially money, information, or help:

  • launch/make an appeal The Red Cross launched an appeal after a huge earthquake hit Haiti.

  • an appeal for sth The Society made an appeal for funds to purchase the building and grounds.

  • The development and modernization work is being funded from a successful capital appeal launched last year.

• 14 a quality that makes people like something or want to buy it:

  • A well-chosen set of photographs gives the book added appeal.

  • market/customer appeal The products have all been researched and tested for market appeal.

  • have wide/broad/universal appeal

• 15 to ask a higher law court to consider again a decision made by a lower court, especially in order to reduce or prevent a punishment:

  • appeal to sth They're appealing to the High Court to reduce the fine.

  • appeal against sth The trust appealed against the injunction, but a High Court has yet to rule.

  • appeal a decision/ruling/verdict

• 16 to formally ask for an official decision to be changed:

  • appeal to sth Any woman who believes she is the subject of discrimination over pension rights can appeal to an industrial tribunal.

  • appeal against sth A group of radio stations is to appeal against the decision to charge huge royalties for internet radio.

  • Our formal complaints system sets out clearly how to make complaints and how you can appeal decisions.

• 17 to ask the public for something such as money, information, or help:

  • appeal for sth How could we appeal for more resources?

  • appeal to sb for sth We are appealing to the public for information.

  • appeal for/to sb to do sth Detectives are appealing for witnesses to come forward.

• 18 to interest or attract someone:

  • Our partner company has local knowledge and will know which products appeal.

  • appeal to sb The new phone is designed to appeal to consumers who find normal phone tariffs confusing.