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单词 plea
释义

plea

noun

ˈplē How to pronounce plea (audio)
1
: a legal suit or action
2
: an allegation made by a party in support of a cause: such as
a
: an allegation of fact compare demurrer entry 1
b(1)
: a defendant's answer to a plaintiff's declaration in common-law practice
(2)
: an accused person's answer to a charge or indictment in criminal practice
c
: a plea of guilty to an indictment
3
: something offered by way of excuse or justification
left early with the plea of a headache
4
: an earnest entreaty : appeal
their plea for understanding must be answered

Synonyms

  • adjuration
  • appeal
  • conjuration
  • cry
  • desire
  • entreaty
  • petition
  • pleading
  • prayer
  • solicitation
  • suit
  • suppliance
  • supplication
See all Synonyms & Antonyms

Example Sentences

We are making a plea to all companies to stop polluting the environment. The defendant entered a plea of not guilty.
Recent Examples on the Web The club argued that Yeshiva's plea to the Supreme Court was premature, also noting the university already has recognized a gay pride club at its law school. CBS News, 17 Sep. 2022 Three other detainees have been convicted by military commissions, including two via plea bargains. Jess Bravin, WSJ, 17 Sep. 2022 Prosecutors set aside a possible death penalty in exchange for the guilty plea. Chron, 17 Sep. 2022 The man accused of opening fire within a Milwaukee police district station in February entered a special plea of not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect Friday. Elliot Hughes, Journal Sentinel, 16 Sep. 2022 If the court accepts the guilty plea, Burnette would serve 20 years in federal prison. Ngan Ho, Baltimore Sun, 16 Sep. 2022 The plea suggests no other Board of Review employees were involved. Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 16 Sep. 2022 Nevada State College won’t get a name change for now, despite a passionate plea from the school’s president, DeRionne Pollard. From Usa Today Network And Wire Reports, USA TODAY, 14 Sep. 2022 In fairness, standing out in a year with a Grammys featuring a heartfelt plea from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and an Oscars best remembered for one A-lister slapping another is a steep hill to climb. Travis M. Andrews, Washington Post, 13 Sep. 2022 See More

Word History

Etymology

Middle English plaid, plait, ple "contention, dispute, legal conflict, lawsuit," borrowed from Anglo-French plait, pleit, plaid, plé "speech, discussion of affairs, argument, dispute, action at law" (also continental Old French), going back to early Medieval Latin placitum "liking, will, pleasure, opinion, belief, design, decision, agreement, contract, gathering at an agreed time, assembly to decide on matters of state, session of a law court, law court, action at law," going back to Latin, "opinion, belief, (in law) agreed condition," noun derivative from neuter of placitus, past participle of placēre "to be pleasing, find favor, find acceptance, commend itself, be agreed on" — more at please entry 1

Note: The Latin noun placitum is based on impersonal use of the verb placēre, as in sic placitum est "it was so resolved." In medieval bureaucracy placitum was subject to a semantic explosion—J. F. Niermeyer's Mediae Latinitatis lexicon minus, a concise dictionary of Medieval Latin, enters 26 senses for the word, some much more common than others. It was adopted early in Gallo-Romance, and in the later Middle Ages pleit, ple, etc., remained a common word in Anglo-French and Middle English, particularly in the legal realm.

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

plea

noun

ˈplē How to pronounce plea (audio)
1
: an earnest appeal
The prisoner made a plea for mercy.
2
: something offered as a defense or excuse

Legal Definition

plea

noun

ˈplē How to pronounce plea (audio)
1
a
: an allegation of fact in civil litigation made in response to a claim compare demurrer
b
: a defendant's answer to a plaintiff's claim in civil litigation

Note: Under the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, and in states where they have been adopted, civil pleas are abolished, and answers and motions are used instead. Such pleas were used at common law.

dilatory plea \\ ˈdi-​lə-​ˌtōr-​ē-​ \\
: a common-law plea which is intended to defeat the pending action or proceeding without involving any decision on the merits of the case
plea in abatement
: a plea entered by a party seeking postponement or dismissal of an action by setting forth some matter or defect regarding procedure, jurisdiction, or timing

called also plea of abatement

plea in bar
: a plea that alleges the existence of an absolute bar (as a statute of limitations) to an action
plea of abatement
: plea in abatement in this entry
2
a
: an accused party's answer to a criminal charge or indictment
b
: a plea of guilty
3
: an earnest entreaty

History and Etymology for plea

Anglo-French plei plai legal action, trial, from Old French plait plaid, from Medieval Latin placitum, from Latin, decision, decree, from neuter of placitus, past participle of placēre to please, be decided

plea

noun

1
as in appeal
an earnest request the captive made an impassioned plea for his life to be spared

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
  • appeal
  • prayer
  • petition
  • pleading
  • cry
  • entreaty
  • solicitation
  • desire
  • supplication
  • suit
  • application
  • demand
  • adjuration
  • call
  • insistence
  • suppliance
  • requisition
  • conjuration
  • claim
2
as in excuse
an explanation that frees one from fault or blame my only plea is that I've been overworked lately

Synonyms & Similar Words

  • excuse
  • justification
  • apology
  • reason
  • defense
  • alibi
  • vindication
  • confession
  • rationale
  • pretext
  • rationalization
  • out
  • acknowledgment
  • extenuation
  • pretense
  • pretence
  • guise
  • atonement
  • acknowledgement
  • whitewash
  • cop-out
  • palliation
  • color

Synonym Chooser

Some common synonyms of plea are alibi, apologia, apology, excuse, and pretext. While all these words mean "matter offered in explanation or defense," plea stresses argument or appeal for understanding or sympathy or mercy.

her usual plea that she was nearsighted

The words alibi and plea can be used in similar contexts, but alibi implies a desire to shift blame or evade punishment and imputes mere plausibility to the explanation.

his alibi failed to stand scrutiny

The meanings of apologia and plea largely overlap; however, apologia implies not admission of guilt or regret but a desire to make clear the grounds for some course, belief, or position.

his speech was an apologia for his foreign policy

While the synonyms apology and plea are close in meaning, apology usually applies to an expression of regret for a mistake or wrong with implied admission of guilt or fault and with or without reference to mitigating or extenuating circumstances.

said by way of apology that he would have met them if he could

While in some cases nearly identical to plea, excuse implies an intent to avoid or remove blame or censure.

used illness as an excuse for missing the meeting

In some situations, the words pretext and plea are roughly equivalent. However, pretext suggests subterfuge and the offering of false reasons or motives in excuse or explanation.

used any pretext to get out of work
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更新时间:2025/3/4 3:06:47