# plea

/ˈpɫi/ (US) · /plˈiː/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/plea
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. an emotional request

noun · CEFR B2

an urgent and emotional request for help or for someone to do something.

For teachers: an earnest or urgent entreaty or appeal, often made in a state of distress.

- The family made a public plea for the safe return of their missing dog.
- The humanitarian organisation issued a desperate plea for medical supplies as the crisis in the border region intensified.

### 2. legal statement

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal

a formal statement in court saying if you are guilty or not guilty of a crime.

For teachers: a formal statement made by or on behalf of a defendant in a court of law.

- The defendant entered a plea of not guilty to all charges.
- After months of negotiation, the suspect agreed to a reduced charge in exchange for a guilty plea.

Usage: Commonly used with the verbs 'enter', 'make', or 'change'.

### 3. an excuse

noun · CEFR C2 · Literary · Formal

a reason or excuse you give to explain why you did something or why you cannot do something.

For teachers: an allegation or excuse used in defence or justification of an action.

- He left the party early on the plea of having a headache.
- The governor rejected the proposal on the plea that the state budget could not sustain further infrastructure spending.

### 4. to argue or plead

verb · CEFR C2 · Dialect · British English

to argue a case or ask for something in a serious way.

For teachers: to plead or argue a cause; a regional variant of the standard verb 'plead'.

- The lawyer began to plea the case before the local magistrate.
- In certain northern districts, you may still hear solicitors use the term to plea rather than to plead during preliminary hearings.

Teaching tip: This verb form is rare in modern standard English; learners should use 'plead' in almost all contexts.

## Examples

- 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.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.