Plead

• POS: Verb (usu participle), Verb (intransitive), Verb (transitive)

CIDE DICTIONARY

Plead, v. t. [OE. pleden, plaiden, OF. plaidier, F. plaider, fr. LL. placitare, fr. placitum. See Plea.].

•  To argue in support of a claim, or in defense against the claim of another; to urge reasons for or against a thing; to attempt to persuade one by argument or supplication; to speak by way of persuasion; as, to plead for the life of a criminal; to plead with a judge or with a father.  [1913 Webster]

  "O that one might plead for a man with God, as a man pleadeth for his neighbor!"  [1913 Webster]
•  To present an answer, by allegation of fact, to the declaration of a plaintiff; to deny the plaintiff's declaration and demand, or to allege facts which show that ought not to recover in the suit; in a less strict sense, to make an allegation of fact in a cause; to carry on the allegations of the respective parties in a cause; to carry on a suit or plea.  Blackstone. Burrill. Stephen.  [1913 Webster]
•  To contend; to struggle.  Chaucer.  [1913 Webster]

Plead, v. t. 

•  To discuss, defend, and attempt to maintain by arguments or reasons presented to a tribunal or person having uthority to determine; to argue at the bar; as, to plead a cause before a court or jury.  [1913 Webster]

  " In this sense, argue is more generally used by lawyers."  [1913 Webster]

  "Every man should plead his own matter."  [1913 Webster]
•  To allege or cite in a legal plea or defense, or for repelling a demand in law; to answer to an indictment; as, to plead usury; to plead statute of limitations; to plead not guilty.  Kent.  [1913 Webster]
•  To allege or adduce in proof, support, or vendication; to offer in excuse; as, the law of nations may be pleaded in favor of the rights of ambassadors.  Spenser.  [1913 Webster]

  "I will neither plead my age nor sickness, in excuse of faults."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Plead, v. (past and past part. pleaded or esp. US, Sc., & dial. pled)
1 intr. (foll. by with) make an earnest appeal to.
2 intr. Law address a lawcourt as an advocate on behalf of a party.
3 tr. maintain (a cause) esp. in a lawcourt.
4 tr. Law declare to be one's state as regards guilt in or responsibility for a crime (plead guilty; plead insanity).
5 tr. offer or allege as an excuse (pleaded forgetfulness).
6 intr. make an appeal or entreaty.

Derivative

pleadable adj. pleader n. pleadingly adv.

Etymology

ME f. AF pleder, OF plaidier (as PLEA)

THESAURUS

Plead

adduce, adjure, advance, advocate, affirm, allege, appeal, appeal to, apply to, argue, argufy, array, ask, ask for, assert, aver, avow, bandy words, beg, beseech, bicker, blandish, brace, bring forward, bring on, bring to bear, cajole, call for help, call on, call upon, cavil, choplogic, clamor for, coax, conduct pleadings, conjure, contend, contest, crave, cross swords, cry for, cry on, cry to, cut and thrust, declare, demand, deploy, discept, dispute, entreat, exhort, give and take, hassle, have it out, high-pressure, impetrate, implead, implore, importune, imprecate, insist, insist upon, invoke, jawbone, join issue, kneel to, lobby, lock horns, logomachize, maintain, make a plea, marshal, moot, nag, obtest, offer, petition, pettifog, plead for, plead with, polemicize, polemize, pray, present, press, pressure, produce, push, put forward, quibble, rally, recommend, request, rest, run to, say, seek, soft-soap, solicit, spar, supplicate, swear, sweet-talk, take sides, thrash out, try conclusions, urge, wheedle, work on, wrangle

ROGET THESAURUS

Plead

Pretext

VB pretend, plead, allege, shelter oneself under the plea of, excuse, lend a color to, furnish a handle, make a pretext of, make a handle of, use as a plea, take one's stand upon, make capital out of, pretend.

Request

VB request, ask, beg, crave, sue, pray, petition, solicit, invite, pop the question, make bold to ask, beg leave, beg a boon, apply to, call to, put to, call upon, call for, make a request, address a request, prefer a request, put up a request, make a prayer, address a prayer, prefer a prayer, put up a prayer, make a petition, address a petition, prefer a petition, put up a petition, make application, make a requisition, ask trouble, ask one for, claim, offer up prayers, whistle for, beg hard, entreat, beseech, plead, supplicate, implore, conjure, adjure, obtest, cry to, kneel to, appeal to, invoke, evoke, impetrate, imprecate, ply, press, urge, beset, importune, dun, tax, clamor for, cry aloud, cry for help, fall on one's knees, throw oneself at the feet of, come down on one's marrowbones, beg from door to door, send the hat round, go a begging, mendicate, mump, cadge, beg one's bread, dance attendance on, besiege, knock at the door, bespeak, canvass, tout, make interest, court, seek, bid for, publish the banns.

Lawyer

VB practice law, practice at the bar, practice within the bar, plead, call to the bar, be called to the bar, be called within the bar, take silk, take to the law, give legal counsel, provide legal counsel.

Vindication

N vindication, justification, warrant, exoneration, exculpation, acquittal, whitewashing, extenuation, palliation, palliative, softening, mitigation, reply, defense, recrimination, apology, gloss, varnish, plea, salvo, excuse, extenuating circumstances, allowance, allowance to be made, locus paenitentiae, apologist, vindicator, justifier, defendant, justifiable charge, true bill, v, justify, warrant, be an excuse for, lend a color, furnish a handle, vindicate, exculpate, disculpate, acquit, clear, set right, exonerate, whitewash, clear the skirts of, extenuate, palliate, excuse, soften, apologize, varnish, slur, gloze, put a gloss, put a good face upon, mince, gloss over, bolster up, help a lame dog over a stile, advocate, defend, plead one's cause, stand up for, stick up for, speak up for, contend for, speak for, bear out, keep in countenance, support, plead, say in defense, plead ignorance, confess and avoid, propugn, put in a good word for, take the will for the deed, make allowance for, give credit for, do justice to, give one his due, give the Devil his due, make good, prove the truth of, prove one's case, be justified by the event, vindicated, vindicating, exculpatory, apologetic, excusable, defensible, pardonable, venial, veniable, specious, plausible, justifiable, honi sot qui mal y pense, good wine needs no bush.

Evidence

VB be evidence, evince, show, betoken, tell of, indicate, imply, involve, argue, bespeak, breathe, have weight, carry weight, tell, speak volumes, speak for itself, rest upon, depend upon, repose on, bear witness, give evidence, testify, depose, witness, vouch for, sign, seal, undersign, set one's hand and seal, sign and seal, deliver as one's act and deed, certify, attest, acknowledge, make absolute, confirm, prove (demonstrate), indorse, countersign, corroborate, support, ratify, bear out, uphold, warrant, adduce, attest, cite, quote, refer to, appeal to, call, call to witness, bring forward, bring into court, allege, plead, produce witnesses, confront witnesses, place into evidence, mark into evidence, collect evidence, bring together evidence, rake up evidence, experiment, have a case, make out a case, establish, authenticate, substantiate, verify, make good, quote chapter and verse, bring home to, bring to book.