plead
English · Thesaurus
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plead
- /pliːd/ present
- /plɛd/ past
Rhymes with -iːd, -ɛd
Where it comes from
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”).
verb pleads · pleading · pleaded · pled
- To present (an argument or a plea), especially in a legal case. The defendant has decided to plead not guilty.
- To beg, beseech, or implore, especially emotionally. He pleaded with me not to leave the house.
- To offer by way of excuse. Not wishing to attend the banquet, I pleaded illness.
- To discuss by arguments.
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: beseeching, imploring, appealing, importunate, litigate, sue, claim, appeal, advocate, beg, entreat, implore, supplicate, allege, invoke, confess
Translations
Every language
verb to present an argument
| Español | pleitear, declararse |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | 嘆願する tangan suru |
| 中文 | 辩护 biànhù |
| Português | pleitear |
| Français | plaider |
| Deutsch | plädieren, bekennen, eintreten |
| Română | pleda |
| Русский | защища́ть zaščiščátʹ, представля́ть интере́сы predstavljátʹ interésy, выступа́ть с заявле́нием |
| Tiếng Việt | bào chữa, biện hộ, cãi |
verb to beg
| Español | rogar, suplicar |
|---|---|
| 中文 | 央求 yāngqiú |
| Português | implorar, suplicar |
| Deutsch | (dringend) bitten, anflehen, beschwören |
| Română | implora |
| Tiếng Việt | cầu xin, nài xin |
verb to offer by way of excuse
| Português | alegar |
|---|
Talk about this word "plead." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/plead. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. plead. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/plead "plead." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/plead.Cite this
@misc{plead_2026,
title = {plead},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/plead},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
