Legal Dictionary
Main Entry:
pleadPronunciation:
'plEdEtymology: Anglo-French
plaider to argue in a court of law, from Old French
plaid legal action, trial —more at
PLEAFunction:
verbInflected Forms:
plead·ed or pled also plead /'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
plead —Kansas Statutes Annotated> —see also ALTERNATIVE
2 : to make a specific plea <plead not guilty>; also : to make a plea of guilty plead to the lesser charge> transitive verb 1 : to allege in or by way of a pleading : state in a pleading 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 plead ignorance of the law> —plead·able adjective —plead·er noun