plea-bargain

[plee-bahr-gin]

verb (used without object)

1. to engage in plea bargaining.

verb (used with object)

1. to deal with or achieve by plea bargaining.

   to plea-bargain a reduced sentence.

noun

1. the agreement arrived at as a result of plea bargaining.

plea bargain

1. An agreement that permits a defendant to plead guilty to a lesser charge instead of pleading not guilty to a more serious one. Plea bargaining is usually undertaken by a prosecutor to obtain important information from a defendant or to avoid a long and costly trial.

Other Word Forms

• plea-bargainer noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of plea-bargain¹

First recorded in 1965–70

Related Words

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• argue 
• assert 
• cite 
• declare 
• maintain 
• respond