appellant

/əˈpɛlənt/

Other forms: appellants

An appellant is someone who has filed a request asking a judge to change an earlier legal decision.

When someone who's been convicted of a crime files an appeal, hoping for a different outcome in a new courtroom, they become an appellant. Usually with the help of an attorney, the appellant submits written arguments in favor of an appeal to a judge. The opposing side does the same, and the judge decides whether or not the case warrants another trial. Appellant is from the French appeller, "make an appeal," and a Latin root meaning "appeal to."

Definitions of appellant

1. adjective

   relating to or taking account of challenges to a decision, especially a legal decision
   synonyms: appellate
2. noun

   the person or party seeking a reversal of a lower court's decision
   synonyms: plaintiff in error

   type of:

   litigant, litigator

   (law) a party to a lawsuit; someone involved in litigation