appellation

noun

ap·​pel·​la·​tion ˌa-pə-ˈlā-shən 

1

: an identifying name or title : designation

was entitled to the appellation "doctor"

2

: 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

3

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.

Synonyms

• appellative
• cognomen
• compellation
• denomination
• denotation
• designation
• handle
• moniker
• monicker
• name
• nomenclature
• title

Examples of appellation in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Yellow: The act of bestowing someone with a name or appellation. —Joseph Epstein, Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2024

In the blind-tasting portion alone, candidates must correctly identify six different wines by grape variety, country of origin, district, appellation, and, finally, vintage. —Josh Condon, Robb Report, 8 Dec. 2024

However, perhaps the most unexplored aspect of terroir in the appellation is the impact of valley breezes on the grapes. —Paul Caputo, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2024

Grapes were planted on nearby Mount Barker by an English settler in 1859, but the Great Southern appellation was established only in 2007. —Kevin West, Travel + Leisure, 24 Nov. 2024

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

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Kids Definition

appellation

noun

ap·​pel·​la·​tion ˌap-ə-ˈlā-shən 

: an identifying or descriptive name or title