plea
n. countablen. an urgent or emotional request for help. In a court of law, it is also the official statement someone makes about whether they are guilty or innocent.
n. an urgent, emotional, or formal appeal for assistance or mercy; in a legal context, a defendant's formal statement of 'guilty' or 'not guilty' in response to a charge.
The prisoner made a desperate plea for his freedom.
The charity issued a public plea for donations to help the victims of the earthquake.
Despite the overwhelming evidence presented by the prosecution, the defendant entered a plea of not guilty during the preliminary hearing.
From Middle English ple, from Old French plait, plaid, from Medieval Latin placitum (“a decree, sentence, suit, plea, etc., Latin an opinion, determination, prescription, order; literally, that which is pleasing, pleasure”), neuter of placitus, past participle of placere (“to please”). Cognate with Spanish pleito (“lawsuit, suit”). Doublet of placit. See also please, pleasure.
Frequently used with the verbs 'make', 'enter', or 'issue'; often followed by the preposition 'for'.
he pleaded a pleahe entered a pleaIn legal contexts, one 'enters' or 'makes' a plea rather than using the noun as a direct object of its related verb.