an earnest entreaty or request something alleged or pleaded by or on behalf of a party to legal proceedings in support of his or her claim or defence the answer made by an accused to the charge: a plea of guilty (in Scotland and formerly in England) a suit or action at law an excuse, justification, or pretext: I gave the plea of a previous engagement
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025
plea /pli/USA pronunciation
n. [countable], pl. pleas.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025- an appeal or request:a plea for mercy.
- an excuse;
pretext:He begged off on the plea that his car wasn't working. - Law
- a defendant's answer to a legal charge:a plea of not guilty.
- Lawa plea of guilty.
plea
(plē),USA pronunciation n.
- an appeal or entreaty:a plea for mercy.
- something that is alleged, urged, or pleaded in defense or justification.
- an excuse;
pretext:He begged off on the plea that his car wasn't working. - Law
- an allegation made by, or on behalf of, a party to a legal suit, in support of his or her claim or defense.
- a defendant's answer to a legal declaration or charge.
- Law(in courts of equity) a plea that admits the truth of the declaration, but alleges special or new matter in avoidance.
- [Obs.]a suit or action.
- Slang Terms cop a plea, See cop 1 (def. 4b).
- early Medieval Latin placitum law-court, suit, decision, decree, Latin: opinion (literally, that which is pleasing or agreeable), noun, nominal use of neuter of past participle of placēre to please
- Old French
- Middle English ple, earlier plaid 1175–1225
- 1.See corresponding entry in Unabridged request, petition, supplication, solicitation, suit.
- 3.See corresponding entry in Unabridged justification.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
'plea' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
Alford plea
- Hippolytus
- alibi
- allegation
- allege
- answer
- appeal
- avoid
- avoidance
- avowry
- bar
- bias
- cognizance
- conjure
- cop
- counterplea
- defence
- denial
- diminished responsibility
- eloquent
- enter
- entreaty
- excuse
- fervent
- forceful
- hush
- incline
- mute
- nolo contendere
- orison
- overrule
- pack
- peremptory exception
- plea bargaining
- plea-bargain
- plead
- poor mouth
- postulator
- register
- replication
- reply
- self-defense
- special plea
- strength
- suppliance
- wilderness