nolo contendere

American  

[noh-loh kuhn-ten-duh-ree] / ˈnoʊ loʊ kənˈtɛn də ri /

Informal, nolo

noun

Law.

1. (in a criminal case) a defendant's pleading that does not admit guilt but subjects them to punishment as though a guilty plea had been entered, the determination of guilt remaining open in other proceedings.

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nolo contendere British  

/ ˈnəʊləʊ kɒnˈtɛndərɪ /

noun

1. law a plea made by a defendant to a criminal charge having the same effect in those proceedings as a plea of guilty but not precluding him from denying the charge in a subsequent action

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nolo contendere Cultural  

1. A plea that can be entered in a criminal or civil case, by which an accused person neither admits guilt nor proclaims innocence of a charge. Nolo contendere is Latin for “I do not wish to contend.”

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Etymology

Origin of nolo contendere

First recorded in 1830–35; from Latin: “I am unwilling to contend”; nolle prosequi ( def. )

Compare meaning

How does nolo-contendere compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• nolo contendere vs. guilty

Example Sentences

The judicial system is famous for its thicket of impenetrable legalese, with terms like “nolo contendere” and “writ of certiorari” befuddling laypeople trying to keep up with courtroom drama.

From Washington Post

“Would be nice to avoid a second Anthony Wright-type case and get a nolo contendere” — a plea of no contest — a city lawyer wrote to a colleague.

From New York Times

Last year, Dillon entered nolo contendere pleas to charges of DUI and leaving the scene of a collision with property damage, the paper reported.

From Fox News

“Have you ever been charged with or convicted of or pled guilty or nolo contendere to a crime other than a minor traffic offense, or are there any criminal charges now pending against you?”

From New York Times

Sherbow entered a nolo contendere plea last February to two counts of making threats.

From Washington Times