plea

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plea

(plē)

1. An earnest request; an appeal: spoke out in a plea for greater tolerance.

2. An excuse; a pretext: "[The] colonel ... hid first behind a stump and then worked his way to the rear on the plea of a sore back" (William Marvel).

3. Law

a. The defendant's answer to a formal criminal charge: entered a plea of not guilty.

b. A defendant's answer in a civil action.

c. A special answer in an equity action, setting forth in lieu of a detailed response a basis for dismissing, delaying, or barring the suit.

d. A legal proceeding.

[Middle English plai, lawsuit, from Old French plai, plaid, from Late Latin placitum, decree, from Latin, from neuter past participle of placēre, to please; see plāk- in Indo-European roots.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

plea

(pliː)

1. an earnest entreaty or request: a plea for help.

2. (Law)

a. law something alleged or pleaded by or on behalf of a party to legal proceedings in support of his claim or defence

b. criminal law the answer made by an accused to the charge: a plea of guilty.

c. (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.

[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]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

plea

(pli)

n., pl. pleas.

1. an appeal or entreaty: a plea for mercy.

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.

a. an allegation made by, or on behalf of, a party to a legal suit, in support of his or her claim or defense.

b. a defendant's answer to a legal declaration or charge.

c. a plea of guilty.

[1175–1225; Middle English ple, earlier plaid < Old French < early Medieval Latin placitum law-court, suit, decision, decree, Latin: opinion (literally, that which is pleasing]

plea

The answer given by a defendant in a court case to the charge that has been brought.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Noun	1.	plea - a humble request for help from someone in authority supplication appeal, entreaty, prayer - earnest or urgent request; "an entreaty to stop the fighting"; "an appeal for help"; "an appeal to the public to keep calm"
	2.	plea - (law) a defendant's answer by a factual matter (as distinguished from a demurrer) answer - the principal pleading by the defendant in response to plaintiff's complaint; in criminal law it consists of the defendant's plea of `guilty' or `not guilty' (or nolo contendere); in civil law it must contain denials of all allegations in the plaintiff's complaint that the defendant hopes to controvert and it can contain affirmative defenses or counterclaims counterplea - a plaintiff's reply to a defendant's plea dilatory plea - a plea that delays the action without settling the cause of action; it can challenge the jurisdiction or claim disability of the defendant etc. (such defenses are usually raised in the defendant's answer) insanity plea, plea of insanity - (criminal law) a plea in which the defendant claims innocence due to mental incompetence at the time law, jurisprudence - the collection of rules imposed by authority; "civilization presupposes respect for the law"; "the great problem for jurisprudence to allow freedom while enforcing order"
	3.	plea - an answer indicating why a suit should be dismissed due process, due process of law - (law) the administration of justice according to established rules and principles; based on the principle that a person cannot be deprived of life or liberty or property without appropriate legal procedures and safeguards trial - (law) the determination of a person's innocence or guilt by due process of law; "he had a fair trial and the jury found him guilty"; "most of these complaints are settled before they go to trial" law, jurisprudence - the collection of rules imposed by authority; "civilization presupposes respect for the law"; "the great problem for jurisprudence to allow freedom while enforcing order"

plea

noun

1. appeal, request, suit, prayer, begging, petition, overture, entreaty, intercession, supplication an impassioned plea to mankind to act to save the planet

2. (Law) suit, cause, action, allegation We will enter a plea of not guilty.

3. excuse, claim, defence, explanation, justification, pretext, vindication, extenuation He murdered his wife, but got off on a plea of insanity.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

plea

noun

1. An earnest or urgent request:

appeal, entreaty, imploration, prayer, supplication.

2. An explanation offered to justify an action or make it better understood:

excuse, pretext.

Translations

Spanish / Español

Select a language:

alegato súplica defensa petición

plea

[pliː]

A. N

1. (= entreaty) → súplica f, petición f
he made a plea for mercy → pidió clemencia

2. (= excuse) → pretexto m, disculpa f

3. (Jur) → alegato m, defensa f
a plea of insanity → un alegato de desequilibrio mental
a plea of guilty/not guilty → una declaración de culpabilidad/inocencia
to enter a plea of innocent → declararse inocente

B. CPD plea bargaining N (Jur) acuerdo táctico entre fiscal y defensor para agilizar los trámites judiciales

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

plea

(pliː) noun

1. a prisoner's answer to a charge. He made a plea of (not) guilty.alegato, declaración

2. an urgent request. The hospital sent out a plea for blood-donors. petición urgente

References in classic literature ?

They were about to proceed to put him to death when he begged them to hear his plea for mercy.

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"He does not need to be abashed who so well knew the answer to his plea before the plea were made," she replied, rising and placing her dear hands upon my shoulders, and so I took her in my arms and kissed her.

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Finally he tried to kiss me, on the plea that he was an old man, the brute!

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"In the matter of Treason the pig would appear To have aided, but scarcely abetted: While the charge of Insolvency fails, it is clear, If you grant the plea 'never indebted.'

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The prisoner was duly arraigned, and his plea again demanded.

“Attend to your plea, Bumppo,” said the Judge; “you hear that you are accused of using your rifle against an officer of justice?

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CHORUS The plea thou urgest, needs must give us pause, Set forth in weighty argument, but we Must leave the issue with the ruling powers.

CHORUS Our pity, Oedipus, thou needs must move, Thou and these maidens; and the stronger plea Thou urgest, as the savior of our land, Disposes me to counsel for thy weal.

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The plea that otherwise the plot would have been ruined, is ridiculous; such a plot should not in the first instance be constructed.

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"Plea..." began Dolokhov, but could not at first pronounce the word.

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On th' other side up rose BELIAL, in act more graceful and humane; A fairer person lost not Heav'n; he seemd For dignity compos'd and high exploit: But all was false and hollow; though his Tongue Dropt Manna, and could make the worse appear The better reason, to perplex and dash Maturest Counsels: for his thoughts were low; To vice industrious, but to Nobler deeds Timorous and slothful: yet he pleas'd the eare, And with perswasive accent thus began.

He scarce had finisht, when such murmur filld Th' Assembly, as when hollow Rocks retain The sound of blustring winds, which all night long Had rous'd the Sea, now with hoarse cadence lull Sea-faring men orewatcht, whose Bark by chance Or Pinnace anchors in a craggy Bay After the Tempest: Such applause was heard As MAMMON ended, and his Sentence pleas'd, Advising peace: for such another Field They dreaded worse then Hell: so much the fear Of Thunder and the Sword of MICHAEL Wrought still within them; and no less desire To found this nether Empire, which might rise By pollicy, and long process of time, In emulation opposite to Heav'n.