- when intr, often followed by with: to appeal earnestly or humbly (to)
- (transitive; may take a clause as object) to give as an excuse; offer in justification or extenuation: to plead ignorance, he pleaded that he was insane
- to declare oneself to be (guilty or not guilty) in answer to the charge
- to advocate (a case) in a court of law
- (intransitive)
- to file pleadings
- to address a court as an advocate
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
plead•ing
(plē′ding),USA pronunciation n.
plead′ing•ly, adv.
plead′ing•ness, n.
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026- the act of a person who pleads.
- Law
- the advocating of a cause in a court of law.
- the art or science of setting forth or drawing pleas in legal causes.
- a formal statement, usually written, setting forth the cause of action or defense of a case.
- pleadings, the successive statements delivered alternately by plaintiff and defendant until the issue is joined.
- Middle English pledynge (gerund, gerundive). See plead, -ing1 1250–1300
plead′ing•ness, n.
plead /plid/USA pronunciation
v., plead•ed or pled/plɛd/USA pronunciation ;
plead•ing.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026plead•ing.
- to request sincerely;
beg:[no object]to plead for more time. - to use as an excuse, defense, or justification:[~ + object]He pleaded ignorance of the law.
- Law
- [~ + object] to argue (a case) before a court.
- to answer a charge (with a response): [no object]How do you plead?[~ + object]He pled insanity and was not convicted of murder.
plead
(plēd),USA pronunciation v., plead•ed or pled;
plead•ing.
v.i.
v.t.
plead•ing.
v.i.
- to appeal or entreat earnestly:to plead for time.
- to use arguments or persuasions, as with a person, for or against something:She pleaded with him not to take the job.
- to afford an argument or appeal:His youth pleads for him.
- Law
- to make any allegation or plea in an action at law.
- to put forward an answer on the part of a defendant to a legal declaration or charge.
- to address a court as an advocate.
- [Obs.]to prosecute a suit or action at law.
v.t.
- to allege or urge in defense, justification, or excuse:to plead ignorance.
- Law
- to maintain (a cause) by argument before a court.
- to allege or set forth (something) formally in an action at law.
- to allege or cite in legal defense:to plead a statute of limitations.
- early Medieval Latin placitāre to litigate, derivative of Latin placitum opinion. See plea
- Old French plaid(i)er to go to law, plead
- Middle English plaiden 1200–50
- 1. beg, supplicate. 2. reason. 5. claim.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
plead /pliːd/ vb (pleads, pleading, pleaded, plead /plɛd/, esp US Scot pled /plɛd/)
'pleading' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
coax
- conclusion
- demurrer
- inducement
- instanter
- joinder
- moan
- plead
- please
- rebutter
- rejoinder
- special pleading
- statement
- statement of claim
- surrebutter
- surrebuttal
- surrejoinder
- traverse
- variance
- verify
- adjective
- advocacy
- Alford plea
- answer
- appeal
- barrister
- complaint
- defense
- exhortation
- folio
- implead
- innuendo
- intercede
- intercession
- interplead
- misplead
- mispleading
- nolo contendere
- oyer
- quo warranto
- replead
- repleader
- title
- venue
- verification
- SS
- supplemental