To offer reasons for or against something; argue earnestly: plead against a bill.
To provide an argument or appeal: Your youth pleads for you in this instance.
Law
To put forward a plea of a specific nature in court: plead guilty.
To make or answer an allegation in a legal proceeding.
To address a court as a lawyer or advocate.
v.
tr.
To assert as defense, vindication, or excuse; claim as a plea: plead illness.
Law
To present as an answer to a charge, indictment, or declaration made against one.
To argue or present (a case) in a court or similar tribunal.
[Middle English pleden, plaiden, from Old French plaidier, from Medieval Latin placitāre, to appeal to the law, from Late Latin placitum, decree, opinion; see plea.]
plead'a·ble adj., plead'er n., plead'ing·ly adv.
Usage Note: In strict legal usage, one is said to plead guilty or plead not guilty but not to plead innocent. In nonlegal contexts, however, plead innocent is well established.
c.1250, "make a plea in court," from Anglo-Fr. pleder, O.Fr. pleider, plaidier, "agreement, discussion, lawsuit," from M.L. placitare, from L.L. placitum (see plea). Sense of "request, beg" first recorded 1390.
appeal or request earnestly; "I pleaded with him to stop"
2.
offer as an excuse or plea; "She was pleading insanity"
3.
enter a plea, as in courts of law; "She pleaded not guilty"
4.
make an allegation in an action or other legal proceeding, especially answer the previous pleading of the other party by denying facts therein stated or by alleging new facts
Main Entry: plead Pronunciation: 'plEd Etymology: Anglo-French plaider to argue in a court of law, from Old French plaid legal action, trial —more at PLEA Function: verb Inflected Forms: plead·edorpledalsoplead/'pled/; plead·ing intransitive verb 1: to make an allegation in an action or other legal proceeding; especially: to answer the pleading or
charge of the other party by denying facts therein stated or by alleging new facts <the defendant shall be given a copy of the indictment or information before the defendant is called upon to
plead —Kansas Statutes Annotated> —see also ALTERNATIVE 2: to make a specific
plea <plead not guilty>; also: to make a plea of guilty <agreed to plead to the lesser charge> transitive verb 1: to allege in or by way of a
pleading : state in a pleading <unless plaintiff pleads and proves facts showing actual malice, he cannot recover punitive damages —Kumaran v. Brotman, 617 North
Eastern Reporter, Second Series 191 (1993)> <plead a case of fraudulent conveyance> 2: to offer as an excuse <cannot plead ignorance of the law>
—plead·ableadjective —plead·ernoun
Plea\, n. [OE. plee, plai, plait, fr. OF. plait, plaid, plet, LL. placitum judgment, decision, assembly, court, fr. L. placitum that which is pleasing, an opinion, sentiment, from placere to please. See Please, and cf. Placit, Plead.]1. (Law) That which is alleged by a party in support of his cause; in a stricter sense, an allegation of fact in a cause, as distinguished from a demurrer; in a still more limited sense, and in modern practice, the defendant's answer to the plaintiff's declaration and demand. That which the plaintiff alleges in his declaration is answered and repelled or justified by the defendant's plea. In chancery practice, a plea is a special answer showing or relying upon one or more things as a cause why the suit should be either dismissed, delayed, or barred. In criminal practice, the plea is the defendant's formal answer to the indictment or information presented against him. 2. (Law) A cause in court; a lawsuit; as, the Court of Common Pleas. See under Common. The Supreme Judicial Court shall have cognizance of pleas real, personal, and mixed. --Laws of Massachusetts. 3. That which is alleged or pleaded, in defense or in justification; an excuse; an apology. "Necessity, the tyrant's plea." --Milton. No plea must serve; 't is cruelty to spare. --Denham. 4. An urgent prayer or entreaty. Pleas of the crown (Eng. Law), criminal actions.
Plead\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Pleaded (colloq. Pleador Pled); p. pr. & vb. n. Pleading.] [OE. pleden, plaiden, OF. plaidier, F. plaider, fr. LL. placitare, fr. placitum. See Plea.]1. To argue in support of a claim, or in defense against the claim of another; to urge reasons for or against a thing; to attempt to persuade one by argument or supplication; to speak by way of persuasion; as, to plead for the life of a criminal; to plead with a judge or with a father. O that one might plead for a man with God, as a man pleadeth for his neighbor! --Job xvi. 21. 2. (Law) To present an answer, by allegation of fact, to the declaration of a plaintiff; to deny the plaintiff's declaration and demand, or to allege facts which show that ought not to recover in the suit; in a less strict sense, to make an allegation of fact in a cause; to carry on the allegations of the respective parties in a cause; to carry on a suit or plea. --Blackstone. Burrill. Stephen. 3. To contend; to struggle. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
Plead\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Pleaded (colloq. Pleador Pled); p. pr. & vb. n. Pleading.] [OE. pleden, plaiden, OF. plaidier, F. plaider, fr. LL. placitare, fr. placitum. See Plea.]1. To argue in support of a claim, or in defense against the claim of another; to urge reasons for or against a thing; to attempt to persuade one by argument or supplication; to speak by way of persuasion; as, to plead for the life of a criminal; to plead with a judge or with a father. O that one might plead for a man with God, as a man pleadeth for his neighbor! --Job xvi. 21. 2. (Law) To present an answer, by allegation of fact, to the declaration of a plaintiff; to deny the plaintiff's declaration and demand, or to allege facts which show that ought not to recover in the suit; in a less strict sense, to make an allegation of fact in a cause; to carry on the allegations of the respective parties in a cause; to carry on a suit or plea. --Blackstone. Burrill. Stephen. 3. To contend; to struggle. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
Plead\, v. t. 1. To discuss, defend, and attempt to maintain by arguments or reasons presented to a tribunal or person having uthority to determine; to argue at the bar; as, to plead a cause before a court or jury. Every man should plead his own matter. --Sir T. More. Note: In this sense, argue is more generally used by lawyers. 2. To allege or cite in a legal plea or defense, or for repelling a demand in law; to answer to an indictment; as, to plead usury; to plead statute of limitations; to plead not guilty. --Kent. 3. To allege or adduce in proof, support, or vendication; to offer in excuse; as, the law of nations may be pleaded in favor of the rights of ambassadors. --Spenser. I will neither plead my age nor sickness, in excuse of faults. --Dryden.
Please\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Pleased; p. pr. & vb. n. Pleasing.] [OE. plesen, OF. plaisir, fr. L. placere, akin to placare to reconcile. Cf. Complacent, Placable, Placid, Plea, Plead, Pleasure.]1. To give pleasure to; to excite agreeable sensations or emotions in; to make glad; to gratify; to content; to satisfy. I pray to God that it may plesen you. --Chaucer. What next I bring shall please thee, be assured. --Milton. 2. To have or take pleasure in; hence, to choose; to wish; to desire; to will. Whatsoever the Lord pleased, that did he. --Ps. cxxxv. 6. A man doing as he wills, and doing as he pleases, are the same things in common speech. --J. Edwards. 3. To be the will or pleasure of; to seem good to; -- used impersonally. "It pleased the Father that in him should all fullness dwell." --Col. i. 19. To-morrow, may it please you. --Shak. To be pleased in or with, to have complacency in; to take pleasure in. To be pleased to do a thing, to take pleasure in doing it; to have the will to do it; to think proper to do it. --Dryden.
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Audio Help [pleed] Pronunciation Key verb, plead·ed or pled; plead·ing. 
