pleading

American  

[plee-ding] / ˈpli dɪŋ /

noun

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.

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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

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Other Word Forms

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

Etymology

Origin of pleading

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

Example Sentences

Xiong was sentenced to 58 weeks in prison at Inner London Crown Court in June after pleading guilty to fraud by representation.

From BBC

So Nassar made her case like a young lawyer, pleading for her future.

From BBC

Moments earlier she had called him pleading for help.

From BBC

“My house wouldn’t be for sale. My close friend and neighbor would still live next door to me. And I wouldn’t be pleading with you right now. You have the power to change this.”

From Los Angeles Times

It took 14 months from her last theft before she was sentenced to 32 months in a young offenders' institution, after pleading guilty to 18 charges of theft.

From BBC