court of appeals

noun phrase

often capitalized C&A

: a court hearing appeals from the decisions of lower courts

called also court of appeal

Examples of court of appeals in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

To the surprise of the gun industry, Mexico won a preliminary round in the U.S. court of appeals in Boston. —David G. Savage, Los Angeles Times, 4 Mar. 2025

The Supreme Court overturned the court of appeals' opinion in the case, which found that there was no legal precedent addressing whether prejudicial evidence violates due process. —Raul A. Reyes, Newsweek, 23 Jan. 2025

In any event, whichever party loses in the court of appeals can ask the Supreme Court to review the appeals court’s decision. —Ian Millhiser, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018

The court of appeal affirmed a 2023 decision by the Sacramento Superior Court that found Sandhu and three other annuitants who worked for local governments after retiring should be considered public employees who were required to make pension contributions. —William Melhado, Sacramento Bee, 20 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1768, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for court of appeals

• automobiles
• abeles
• conceals
• flywheels
• ideals
• newsreels
• ordeals
• repeals
• reveals
• beals
• deals
• eels

Legal Definition

court of appeals

often capitalized C&A

: a court hearing appeals from the decisions of lower courts: as

a

: an intermediate court of the U.S. federal judicial system

b

: a state appellate court

called also court of appeal

Note: Not all of the states have intermediate-level courts but of those that do, many are called the Court of Appeals or, in California and Louisiana, the Court of Appeal. In Hawaii, such a court is called the Intermediate Court of Appeals. In some states, appeals are divided between a court of criminal appeals and a court of civil appeals. In the District of Columbia, Maryland, and New York the court of last resort is called the Court of Appeals, and the intermediate court in Maryland is called the Court of Special Appeals. In West Virginia the court of last resort is called the Supreme Court of Appeals. In England the Court of Appeal is a division of the Supreme Court of Judicature.