English Dictionary

PLEAD (pled)

Pronunciation (US): Play  (GB): Play

IPA (US): 

Irregular inflected form: pled  Listen to US pronunciation  Listen to GB pronunciation

 Dictionary entry overview: What does plead mean? 

PLEAD (verb)
  The verb PLEAD has 4 senses:

1. appeal or request earnestlyplay

2. offer as an excuse or pleaplay

3. enter a plea, as in courts of lawplay

4. 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 factsplay

  Familiarity information: PLEAD used as a verb is uncommon.


 Dictionary entry details 


PLEAD (verb)

 Conjugation: 
Present simple: I / you / we / they plead  Listen to US pronunciation  Listen to GB pronunciation ... he / she / it pleads  Listen to US pronunciation  Listen to GB pronunciation
Past simple: plead  Listen to US pronunciation  Listen to GB pronunciation / pleaded  Listen to US pronunciation  Listen to GB pronunciation / pled  Listen to US pronunciation  Listen to GB pronunciation
Past participle: plead  Listen to US pronunciation  Listen to GB pronunciation / pleaded  Listen to US pronunciation  Listen to GB pronunciation / pled  Listen to US pronunciation  Listen to GB pronunciation
-ing form: pleading  Listen to US pronunciation  Listen to GB pronunciation


Sense 1

Meaning:

Appeal or request earnestly

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Context example:

I pleaded with him to stop

Hypernyms (to "plead" is one way to...):

appeal; invoke (request earnestly (something from somebody); ask for aid or protection)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "plead"):

beg; implore; pray (call upon in supplication; entreat)

adjure; beseech; bid; conjure; entreat; press (ask for or request earnestly)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s PP

Sentence example:

They plead to move


Sense 2

Meaning:

Offer as an excuse or plea

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Context example:

She was pleading insanity

Hypernyms (to "plead" is one way to...):

apologise; apologize; excuse; rationalise; rationalize (defend, explain, clear away, or make excuses for by reasoning)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s Adjective
Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s that CLAUSE


Sense 3

Meaning:

Enter a plea, as in courts of law

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Context example:

She pleaded not guilty

Hypernyms (to "plead" is one way to...):

declare (state emphatically and authoritatively)

Domain category:

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

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s Adjective

Derivation:

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


Sense 4

Meaning:

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

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "plead" is one way to...):

allege; aver; say (report or maintain)

Domain category:

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

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "plead"):

demur (enter a demurrer)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s that CLAUSE

Derivation:

pleader (a lawyer who pleads cases in court)

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


 Context examples 


And at his heart pleaded a great temptation.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

At first she wouldn't come at all; and then she pleaded for five minutes by my watch.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

Weedon Scott looked across at his companion with eyes that almost pleaded, though this was given the lie by his words.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

"But he'll cry himself sick," pleaded Meg, reproaching herself for deserting her boy.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

He pleaded with his eyes to remain there.

(The Call of the Wild, by Jack London)

My total ignorance of the connection must plead my apology.

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

"Better let me shoot him," he pleaded.

(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)

“But just this once,” I pleaded.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

"But oh, my dear one," he pleaded, "death is afar off from you."

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)



 Learn English with... Proverbs 
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