PLEA

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does plea mean? 

• PLEA (noun)
  The noun PLEA has 3 senses:

1. a humble request for help from someone in authority

2. (law) a defendant's answer by a factual matter (as distinguished from a demurrer)

3. an answer indicating why a suit should be dismissed

  Familiarity information: PLEA used as a noun is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• PLEA (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A humble request for help from someone in authority

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

plea; supplication

Hypernyms ("plea" is a kind of...):

appeal; entreaty; prayer (earnest or urgent request)

Sense 2

Meaning:

(law) a defendant's answer by a factual matter (as distinguished from a demurrer)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Hypernyms ("plea" is a kind of...):

answer (the principal pleading by the defendant in response to plaintiff's complaint; in criminal law it consists of the defendant's plea of 'guilty' or 'not guilty' (or nolo contendere); in civil law it must contain denials of all allegations in the plaintiff's complaint that the defendant hopes to controvert and it can contain affirmative defenses or counterclaims)

Domain category:

jurisprudence; law (the collection of rules imposed by authority)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "plea"):

counterplea (a plaintiff's reply to a defendant's plea)

dilatory plea (a plea that delays the action without settling the cause of action; it can challenge the jurisdiction or claim disability of the defendant etc. (such defenses are usually raised in the defendant's answer))

insanity plea; plea of insanity ((criminal law) a plea in which the defendant claims innocence due to mental incompetence at the time)

Sense 3

Meaning:

An answer indicating why a suit should be dismissed

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Hypernyms ("plea" is a kind of...):

due process; due process of law ((law) the administration of justice according to established rules and principles; based on the principle that a person cannot be deprived of life or liberty or property without appropriate legal procedures and safeguards)

Domain category:

jurisprudence; law (the collection of rules imposed by authority)

Holonyms ("plea" is a part of...):

trial ((law) the determination of a person's innocence or guilt by due process of law)

 Context examples 

No; I pleaded off, and he admitted my plea.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

He perceived her inclination, and having again urged the plea of health in vain, was too polite to make further opposition.

(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)

My plea of concealing the truth she did not think sufficient.

(Emma, by Jane Austen)

A dinner at Mr Musgrove's had been the occasion when all these things should have been seen by Anne; but she had staid at home, under the mixed plea of a headache of her own, and some return of indisposition in little Charles.

(Persuasion, by Jane Austen)

Upon what plea?

(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)

At a little later period he began to make impassioned pleas for death, to beg her to kill him, to beg Hans to put him our of his misery so that he might at least rest comfortably.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

Elinor was very earnest in her application to her mother, relating all that had passed, her suspicions of Willoughby's inconstancy, urging her by every plea of duty and affection to demand from Marianne an account of her real situation with respect to him.

(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)

Donwell was famous for its strawberry-beds, which seemed a plea for the invitation: but no plea was necessary; cabbage-beds would have been enough to tempt the lady, who only wanted to be going somewhere.

(Emma, by Jane Austen)

The usual plea of increasing engagements was made in excuse for not having written to her earlier; And now that I have begun, she continued, my letter will not be worth your reading, for there will be no little offering of love at the end, no three or four lines passionnees from the most devoted H. C. in the world, for Henry is in Norfolk; business called him to Everingham ten days ago, or perhaps he only pretended to call, for the sake of being travelling at the same time that you were.

(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)

Not merely when a state of warfare with one young lady might be supposed to recommend the other, but from the very first; and she was not satisfied with expressing a natural and reasonable admiration—but without solicitation, or plea, or privilege, she must be wanting to assist and befriend her.

(Emma, by Jane Austen)