English Dictionary
Definition of “plea”
plea (pliː
)
Definitions
noun
- an earnest entreaty or request ⇒
a plea for help
- law something alleged or pleaded by or on behalf of a party to legal proceedings in support of his claim or defence
- criminal law 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 ⇒
he gave the plea of a previous engagement
Word Origin
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
Synonyms
View thesaurus entry
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appeal,
request,
suit,
prayer,
begging,
petition,
overture,
entreaty,
intercession,
supplication,
Usage examples
The latter was supposed to have held out her empty glass with the plea : `Dinkie darling!
Howatch, Susan, Absolute Truths (1994)However, his recent publications, as coauthor or senior author, do not reflect his plea.
British Medical Journal (2002)His lawyer, Dick Thomas, entered a guilty plea on his behalf Tuesday to a lesser charge of driving with excessive blood-alcohol content.
Globe and Mail (2003)He said:'I have to say that the response to my plea to remain focused has been quite outstanding.
Glasgow Herald (2001)In this way, the offensive against collectivism was incorporated into a plea for the restoration of traditional codes of conduct.
Eccleshall, Robert, English Conservatism since the Restoration: An introduction and anthology (1990)
