appellation

noun

ap·pel·la·tion ˌa-pə-ˈlā-shən

: an identifying name or title : designation

was entitled to the appellation "doctor"

: a geographical name (as of a region, village, or vineyard) under which a winegrower is authorized to identify and market wine

also : the area designated by such a name

archaic : the act of calling by a name

Did you know?

Ask a Frenchman named Jacques his name, and you may very well get the reply, "Je m'appelle Jacques." The French verb appeler means "to call (by a name)," so Jacques' answer literally translates to "I call myself Jacques." Knowing the function of appeler makes it easy to remember that appellation refers to the name or title by which something is called or known. Appeler and appellation also share a common ancestor: Latin appellāre, meaning "to call upon, name, or designate," formed by combining the prefix ad- ("to") with another verb, pellere ("to beat against, push, or strike"). Appellāre is also the root of English's appeal (by way of Anglo-French and Middle English), as well as appellate, which is used to indicate a court where appeals are heard.

Examples of appellation in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

If approved, Moulin-à-Vent would become the first Beaujolais appellation to earn Premier Cru status. —Lauren Mowery, Forbes, 25 Mar. 2025 While white-wine production is around 6 percent across the appellation and at most wineries, one producer, Château La Nerthe, devotes 10 percent of its vineyard acreage to white grapes and its white bottlings of CdP account for around 15 percent of total production. —Mike Desimone and Jeff Jenssen, Robb Report, 23 Mar. 2025 The city of Bergerac is one of the region's commercial centers, known for producing some of the area's 17 varied wine appellations. —Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes, 12 Mar. 2025 With over 6,000 wineries in 65 appellations, Bordeaux can be a confusing category for wine drinkers, especially when faced with dozens of lookalike bottles on a store shelf, so the 2025 Cru Bourgeois du Médoc helps cut through the fog and highlights the best of the best. —Mike Desimone and Jeff Jenssen, Robb Report, 9 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for appellation

Word History

Etymology

Middle English appellacyon, borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French appellacion, borrowed from Latin appellātiōn-, appellātiō "name, designation, noun, appeal," from appellāre "to speak to, address, apply to for support, refer to a higher authority, call upon, name, designate" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of verbal action; in sense 2 borrowed from French, going back to Middle French — more at appeal entry 2

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of appellation was in the 15th century

See more words from the same century