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.
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.
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Audio Help [pleed] Pronunciation Key verb, plead·ed or pled; plead·ing. 
