Final answer:
The term used to describe a decision made by an appellate court that acts as a law to cases with very similar facts is precedent.
Step-by-step explanation:
The term used to describe a decision made by an appellate court that acts as a law to cases with very similar facts is precedent. Precedent refers to a court's previous decision on a similar legal issue, which guides and justifies future decisions. When the legal facts of one case are the same as the legal facts of another, judges are generally expected to decide them the same way based on precedent.