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.

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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

Derived Forms

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

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• pleadings
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of pleading

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

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

pleading pleadings

Last month Gracie said her client was pleading guilty to two amended charges.

From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2026

Worshippers are generally turned away at the gates, though some are occasionally allowed through after pleading with guards.

From BBC ● Nov. 3, 2026

Like many others in his situation, he chose to confess while pleading not to be sent back to China.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 1, 2026

Hamilton’s campaign built an ad around Meischa Zimmerman, who says she was arrested while eight months pregnant after missing a $50 payment, and found herself pleading not to be handcuffed in front of her two-year-old.

From Salon ● Oct. 25, 2026

The fire left his eyes, and they turned pleading.

From "A Place to Belong" by Cynthia Kadohata

Family lawyers say many clients are using chatbots to generate legal advice, draft pleadings and suggest strategies.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 3, 2026

He expects to see more pleadings for exemptions from state housing laws.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 2, 2025

But those pleadings, often couched in apocalyptic tones, have fallen flat.

From Salon ● Jan. 24, 2025

But a spokesperson for Bally Sports ignored my pleadings about whether The International Sportsman had ever aired.

From Slate ● May 29, 2024

When Walter, who could barely read or write, failed to file the various pleadings, writs, motions, and lawsuits the other prisoners had advised him to file, they blamed him for his predicament.

From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson

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