plea

[ plee ]

noun

1. an appeal or entreaty:

   a plea for mercy.

   Synonyms: suit, solicitation, supplication, petition, request

2. something that is alleged, urged, or pleaded in defense or justification.
3. an excuse; pretext:

   He begged off on the plea that his car wasn't working.

   Synonyms: justification

4. Law.
   1. an allegation made by, or on behalf of, a party to a legal suit, in support of their claim or defense.
   2. a defendant's answer to a legal declaration or charge.
   3. (in courts of equity) a plea that admits the truth of the declaration, but alleges special or new matter in avoidance.
   4. Obsolete. a suit or action.

plea

/ pliː /

noun

1. an earnest entreaty or request

   a plea for help

2. 1. law something alleged or pleaded by or on behalf of a party to legal proceedings in support of his claim or defence
   2. criminal law the answer made by an accused to the charge

      a plea of guilty

   3. (in Scotland and formerly in England) a suit or action at law
3. an excuse, justification, or pretext

   he gave the plea of a previous engagement

Word History and Origins

Origin of plea¹

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English ple, earlier plaid from Old French, from early Medieval Latin placitum “law-court, suit, decision, decree,” Latin: “opinion” (literally, “that which is pleasing or agreeable”), placēre “to please”

Word History and Origins

Origin of plea¹

C13: from Anglo-Norman plai, from Old French plaid lawsuit, from Medieval Latin placitum court order (literally: what is pleasing), from Latin placēre to please

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. cop a plea, Slang. cop ²( def 5b ).

More idioms and phrases containing plea

see cop a plea .

Example Sentences

He later accepted a plea deal that put him behind bars for 25 years.

From The Daily Beast

Schettino also tried to enter a plea bargain agreement, which ultimately was rejected by the Grosseto court.

From The Daily Beast

The mother also made a plea to the violent ones who wreak such havoc.

From The Daily Beast

It was an intimate and somber plea, like a parent opening an intervention with a wayward child.

From The Daily Beast

He could have gotten away with a greatly reduced fine and no time behind bears if he had simply entered a guilty plea.

From The Daily Beast

It is probable he wished to provide written proof of a plea that he was an unwilling agent in the clutch of a mutinous army.

From Project Gutenberg

Nor can he hold the company on the plea of ignorance by declaring he has not read it, for it is his duty to read the receipt.

From Project Gutenberg

On the plea that they must hasten if the midday heat were to be avoided, they cut short the halt to less than an hour.

From Project Gutenberg

In short, insurgency ceased to be a valid plea; if it existed in fact, officially it had become a dead letter.

From Project Gutenberg

For the popular voice accused him of outrages for which the utmost license of civil war would not furnish a plea.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• appeal
• application
• entreaty
• overture
• petition
• prayer
• solicitation
• suit