apelo

Apelo is a term in Portuguese that can refer to an appeal or plea made to persuade, request reconsideration, or seek help. In everyday language, it is used to describe an act of appealing to an audience or to someone's sense of reason or emotion. In rhetorical contexts, phrases such as emotional appeal (apelo emocional) or appeal to authority are common, signaling strategies used to influence or persuade.

In legal usage, apelo denotes a request to a higher authority to review a decision. The exact instrument and terminology vary by jurisdiction. In many Portuguese-speaking countries, the formal remedy for challenging a decision is commonly called a recurso de apelação (appeal). Depending on the national legal system, apelo may be referenced as a general concept of appeal or used interchangeably with apelação in informal speech, while apelar remains the verb meaning to appeal.

Etymology: The noun apelo derives from the verb apelar, which in turn comes from Latin appellare, meaning to call upon or address. The term has cognates in other Romance languages with similar senses of calling upon someone for action or review.

Usage notes: Contemporary Portuguese often uses apelo in phrases such as apelo à justiça (an appeal to justice) or apelo popular (a popular appeal). As a legal term, speakers typically use apelação or recurso de apelação in formal documents, with apelo serving as the broader, less formal concept of appealing.