plea

American  

[plee] / pli /

noun

• pleas
  plural

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.

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idioms

1. cop a plea, cop.

plea British  

/ 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

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plea More Idioms  

1. see cop a plea.

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Usage

What does plea mean? A plea is an intense request or appeal. It’s especially used to imply that the request is passionate and that the person doing the pleading is desperate. It’s especially used in serious situations. A person might make a plea to their friend to get help with an addiction. A kid might make a plea to their parents begging not to be grounded. In law, a plea is generally a defendant’s response to an accusation, as in a plea of guilty or not guilty. A plea-bargain is an agreement between a defendant and a prosecutor in which the defendant pleads guilty to a lesser charge. The slang phrase cop a plea refers to this and can be used in nonlegal contexts. To make a plea is to plead. Example: When I was a kid, I used to beg my mom not to make me go to the dentist, but she always ignored my pleas.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• pleas
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of plea

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”

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Explanation

A plea is what you make when you're begging for something with a sense of urgency and emotion. While you wouldn't call asking for a hall pass a plea, you could make a plea for justice or world peace. Plea also has a legal meaning. When you get a traffic ticket or if you're accused of a crime, you have to enter a plea of "guilty" or "not guilty." A "plea bargain" is when you make a deal with the prosecutor — you may plead guilty to a charge (by entering a guilty plea) that has less of a penalty and, in return, the prosecutor drops the more serious charge.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

plea pleas

The Daily Express leads on the plea of nine women from Piddington, who visited Parliament on Wednesday to demand Labour shelves plans to house 1,256 asylum seekers next to the Oxfordshire village.

From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026

Former USC and NFL quarterback Mark Sanchez plans to enter a guilty plea in connection with his physical altercation with a 69-year-old truck driver in Indianapolis last October.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 14, 2026

He even made headlines after he disappeared in 2022 and Kaplanis posted a Facebook plea for his safe return.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026

"It's terrifying," she said, before adding in an apparent plea to authorities: "Please, I'm begging you, do something to stop this."

From Barron's ● Oct. 11, 2026

Defendants are typically denied meaningful legal representation, pressured by the threat of lengthy sentences into a plea bargain, and then placed under formal control—in prison or jail, on probation or parole.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander

The agency said firefighters were "aggressively attacking the fire from ground and air" and issued repeated pleas for people to stay clear of the area.

From Barron's ● Oct. 17, 2026

They instead stood out against the other evangelicals who made pleas for a sense of decorum and human dignity.

From Slate ● Oct. 15, 2026

The ability of the city to respond to someone’s pleas for help is incredibly important in ensuring that we maintain the trust of the public.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 20, 2026

Mark Knowles, defending, said McEvoy had entered guilty pleas because she not want to subject the boys to the ordeal of a trial.

From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026

It wasn’t a lie, and Ophie just hoped it bolstered whatever pleas Penelope had made.

From "Ophie's Ghosts" by Justina Ireland

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Related Words

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

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