plea

[ plee ]

noun

1. an appeal or entreaty:

   a plea for mercy.

   Synonyms: suit, solicitation, supplication, petition, request

2. something that is alleged, urged, or pleaded in defense or justification.
3. an excuse; pretext:

   He begged off on the plea that his car wasn't working.

   Synonyms: justification

4. Law.
   1. an allegation made by, or on behalf of, a party to a legal suit, in support of their claim or defense.
   2. a defendant's answer to a legal declaration or charge.
   3. (in courts of equity) a plea that admits the truth of the declaration, but alleges special or new matter in avoidance.
   4. Obsolete. a suit or action.

plea

/ pliː /

noun

1. an earnest entreaty or request

   a plea for help

2. 1. law something alleged or pleaded by or on behalf of a party to legal proceedings in support of his claim or defence
   2. criminal law the answer made by an accused to the charge

      a plea of guilty

   3. (in Scotland and formerly in England) a suit or action at law
3. an excuse, justification, or pretext

   he gave the plea of a previous engagement

Word History and Origins

Origin of plea¹

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English ple, earlier plaid from Old French, from early Medieval Latin placitum “law-court, suit, decision, decree,” Latin: “opinion” (literally, “that which is pleasing or agreeable”), placēre “to please”

Word History and Origins

Origin of plea¹

C13: from Anglo-Norman plai, from Old French plaid lawsuit, from Medieval Latin placitum court order (literally: what is pleasing), from Latin placēre to please

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. cop a plea, Slang. cop ²( def 5b ).

More idioms and phrases containing plea

see cop a plea .

Example Sentences

When he appeared at the Old Bailey, in London, via video link, the former firearms officer entered a not guilty plea to all of the charges.

From BBC

Axel Rudakubana, of Lancashire, appeared via videolink from HMP Belmarsh for a plea and trial preparation hearing at Liverpool Crown Court but he was not asked to enter any pleas to the 16 charges he faces.

From BBC

Aranda admitted to selling the images, according to the plea agreement.

From Los Angeles Times

The American Civil Liberties Union reports that “Defendants of color make up the majority of federal death row and the majority of modern federal executions. Furthermore, modern Attorneys General seek the death penalty at far higher rates if the victim is White, and White federal defendants are far more likely to have their death charges reduced to life sentences through plea bargaining.”

From Slate

As part of a guilty plea, federal officials said, Zilke admitted telling the undercover agent that he had a client in Europe who needed hundreds of millions of dollars to move to Mexico and that he could use the bank account of a charity in Dallas to launder the money.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• appeal
• application
• entreaty
• overture
• petition
• prayer
• solicitation
• suit