PLEADING

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does pleading mean? 

• PLEADING (noun)
  The noun PLEADING has 1 sense:

1. (law) a statement in legal and logical form stating something on behalf of a party to a legal proceeding

  Familiarity information: PLEADING used as a noun is very rare.

• PLEADING (adjective)
  The adjective PLEADING has 1 sense:

1. begging

  Familiarity information: PLEADING used as an adjective is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• PLEADING (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

(law) a statement in legal and logical form stating something on behalf of a party to a legal proceeding

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

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

statement (a message that is stated or declared; a communication (oral or written) setting forth particulars or facts etc)

Meronyms (parts of "pleading"):

bill of Particulars (the particular events to be dealt with in a criminal trial; advises the defendant and the court of the facts the defendant will be required to meet)

Domain category:

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

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

affirmative pleading (any defensive pleading that affirms facts rather than merely denying the facts alleged by the plaintiff)

alternative pleading; pleading in the alternative (a pleading that alleges facts so separate that it is difficult to determine which facts the person intends to rely on)

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)

charge; complaint ((criminal law) a pleading describing some wrong or offense)

complaint ((civil law) the first pleading of the plaintiff setting out the facts on which the claim for relief is based)

defective pleading (any pleading that fails to conform in form or substance to minimum standards of accuracy or sufficiency)

demurrer ((law) any pleading that attacks the legal sufficiency of the opponent's pleadings)

rebuttal; rebutter ((law) a pleading by the defendant in reply to a plaintiff's surrejoinder)

replication ((law) a pleading made by a plaintiff in reply to the defendant's plea or answer)

rejoinder ((law) a pleading made by a defendant in response to the plaintiff's replication)

special pleading ((law) a pleading that alleges new facts in avoidance of the opposing allegations)

surrebuttal; surrebutter ((law) a pleading by the plaintiff in reply to the defendant's rebutter)

surrejoinder ((law) a pleading by the plaintiff in reply to the defendant's rejoinder)

Derivation:

plead (enter a plea, as in courts of law)

plead (make an allegation in an action or other legal proceeding, especially answer the previous pleading of the other party by denying facts therein stated or by alleging new facts)

• PLEADING (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Begging

Synonyms:

beseeching; imploring; pleading

Similar:

adjuratory (earnestly or solemnly entreating)

importunate (expressing persistant and earnest entreaty)

mendicant (practicing beggary)

petitionary (of the nature of or expressing a petition)

precative; precatory (expressing entreaty or supplication)

suppliant; supplicant; supplicatory (humbly entreating)

 Context examples 

"Bill!" he cried out. It was the pleading cry of a strong man in distress, but Bill's head did not turn.

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

It was as well for his resolution, perhaps, for her pleading face was one which it was hard to resist.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

“Look, Jim, how my fingers fidges,” he continued in the pleading tone.

(Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

“But you tried to prevent it?” There was an emphasis on the “tried,” and a pleading little note in her voice.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

It is a sorry sight to see so true a knight pleading in so false a cause.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Here's Mr. Malone pleading for you, Jessie.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Brissenden looked on gravely, though once he grew excited and gripped the whiskey bottle, pleading, "Here, just let me swat him once."

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

Whether they received any pecuniary reward for pleading, or delivering their opinions?

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)

The possibility of the young man's coming to Mrs. Goddard's that morning, and meeting with Harriet and pleading his own cause, gave alarming ideas.

(Emma, by Jane Austen)

The process of defending or pleading the cause of another individual or group (from PSY94)

(Advocacy, NCI Thesaurus)