Showing results for "pleading"

• present participle of plead.

pleading

American  

[plee-ding] / ˈpli dɪŋ /

noun

pleadings plural

1. the act of a person who pleads.

2. Law.

   1. the advocating of a cause in a court of law.

   2. the art or science of setting forth or drawing pleas in legal causes.

   3. a formal statement, usually written, setting forth the cause of action or defense of a case.

   4. pleadings, the successive statements delivered alternately by plaintiff and defendant until the issue is joined.

---

pleading British  

/ ˈpliːdɪŋ /

noun

1. the act of presenting a case in court, as by a lawyer on behalf of his client

2. the art or science of preparing the formal written statements of the parties to a legal action See also pleadings

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• pleadingness
  noun
• nonpleading
  adjective
• unpleading
  adjective
• nonpleadingly
  adverb
• pleadingly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• pleadings
  plural

Etymology

Origin of pleading

1250–1300; Middle English pledynge (gerund). See plead, -ing ¹

Example Sentences

Pleading with Noah's parents for forgiveness, she told the court that she "deserved to be punished".

From BBC • Apr. 17, 2026

The AP’s analysis of Capitol riot sentencing data reinforces a firmly established tenet of the U.S. criminal justice system: Pleading guilty and cooperating with authorities carries a substantial benefit when it comes time for sentencing.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 5, 2024

Pleading guilty to some of the charges against him showed his willingness to take accountability for his actions, he argued.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 13, 2022

Pleading information for Dr. Brodlie was not available because his case was sealed, and his status with Greenwich Hospital was not immediately clear.

From New York Times • Feb. 14, 2022

Pleading my weary legs, I left my partner and slipped out of the steamy, smoky hall.

From "Ophelia" by Lisa Klein