Dictionary

plead en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• /plɛd/ (past)
• /pliːd/ (present)

Etymology

From Middle English pleden, plaiden, from Old French plaider (“to plead, offer a plea”), from plait, from Medieval Latin placitum (“a decree, sentence, suit, plea, etc.", in Classical Latin, "an opinion, determination, prescription, order; literally, that which is pleasing, pleasure”), neuter of placitus, past participle of placeō (“to please”). Cognate with Spanish pleitear (“to litigate, take to court”).

Meanings

1. (ambitransitive, copulative) To present (an argument or a plea), especially in a legal case.
   • The defendant has decided to plead not guilty.
   • In his state case, Mangione pleaded not guilty to eight felony charges, including second-degree murder and several counts related to criminal possession of a weapon. 2026 August 13, Jonathan Dienst, Adam Reiss, Erica Byfield, Matt Lavietes, Chloe Atkins, “Luigi Mangione expected to plead guilty in New York federal case”, in NBC News, archived from the original on 13 Aug 2026:
   • O that one might plead for a man with God, as a man pleadeth for his neighbour! 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Job 16:21:
   • At the High Court in Aberdeen in September, NR pleaded guilty to a series of failings, including failing to tell the driver that it was unsafe to drive the train at the 75mph line speed. 2023 October 18, “Network News: Carmont: NR pays nearly £1m in out-of-court settlements”, in RAIL, number 994, page 15:
2. (intransitive) To beg, beseech, or implore, especially emotionally.
   • He pleaded with me not to leave the house.
   • He was pleading for mercy.
3. (transitive) To offer by way of excuse.
   • From there Prince Rupert, the Royalist general and nephew of Charles I, demanded over £2,000 from the mayor of Leicester to pay the king's forces who were camped around Queniborough. The mayor, however, pleaded poverty and sent only £500. 1980, AA Book of British Villages, Drive Publications Ltd, page 329, about Queniborough:
   • Not wishing to attend the banquet, I pleaded illness.
   • It is no defence to plead that you were only obeying orders.
4. (transitive) To discuss by arguments.

Forms

Deriveds

counterplead · plead the Fifth · interplead · plead out · misplead · pleadable · outplead · emplead · pleader · plead the blood of Jesus · plead down · replead · plead over · plead up · plead the belly · implead · unpleaded

Relateds

pleasurable · plea · pleasant · please · pleasure

Synonyms

cry · allege · maintain · request · appeal · entreat · claim · ask · beg

Translations (73)

cs plédovat (to beg) · de plädieren (to present an argument) · bg умолявам (to beg) · es rogar (to beg) · es pleitear (to present an argument) · vi nài xin (to beg) · fi vedota (to present an argument) · ga tagair (to beg) · ro implora (to beg) · pt implorar (to beg) · fi väittää (to offer by way of excuse) · de bekennen (to present an argument) · pt pleitear (to present an argument) · bg моля (to beg) · cs naléhat (to beg) · ru защища́ть (to present an argument) · fi rukoilla (to beg) · de beschwören (to beg) · bg пледирам (to present an argument) · fi selittää (to offer by way of excuse) · de eintreten (to present an argument) · de (dringend) bitten (to beg) · cmn 辩护 (to present an argument) · fi myöntää syyllisyytensä (to present an argument) · sga du·acair (to present an argument) · es declararse (to present an argument) · tl makiusap (to beg) · fr plaider (to present an argument) · pl błagać (to beg) · grc προφασίζομαι (to offer by way of excuse) · ga pléadáil (to present an argument) · mi whakakuene (to beg) · cs vést obhajobu (to present an argument) · vi biện hộ (to present an argument) · eo pledi (to present an argument) · ru представля́ть интере́сы (to present an argument) · cmn 央求 (to beg) · cs přednášet (před soudem) (to present an argument) · pt alegar (to offer by way of excuse) · de anflehen (to beg) · vi cầu xin (to beg) · nl pleiten (to present an argument) · fi kiistää syyllisyytensä (to present an argument) · cs žádat (to beg) · ang ǣrendian (to present an argument) · mi unene (to beg) · osx ābiddian (to beg) · fi esittää (to present an argument) · tr yalvarmak (to beg) · nl bepleiten (to present an argument) · hy հայտարարություն անել (to present an argument) · tr ileri sürmek (to present an argument) · ru выступа́ть с заявле́нием (to present an argument) · chr ᎦᏂᎳᏗᎠ (to beg) · fi vedota (to beg) · vi cãi (to present an argument) · fi anoa (to beg) · cs učinit prohlášení (to present an argument) · ro pleda (to present an argument) · fi anella (to beg) · sl zagovarjati se (to present an argument) · ja 嘆願する (to present an argument) · pt suplicar (to beg) · gd tagair (to present an argument) · es suplicar (to beg) · hy միջնորդել (to present an argument) · sl pledirati (to present an argument) · grc ἰκετεύω (to beg) · tr açıklamak (to present an argument) · cs prohlásit (to present an argument) · vi bào chữa (to present an argument) · hy պաշտպանել (to present an argument) · cs prosit (to beg)