What is an 'Appeal'?
Asking a higher court to review a trial court's decision.
An "appeal" is a formal request to a higher court (an appellate court) to review the decision made by the trial court. The party that lost at trial typically files the appeal.
An appeal is not a new trial. The appellate court does not hear new evidence. Instead, it reviews the record from the trial to determine if the trial court judge made any significant legal errors that would require changing the outcome.