plead
B2formal, legal
Definition
Meaning
To make an emotional, urgent, or formal request or appeal.
In law, to formally state in court whether one is guilty or not guilty of a charge.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Past tense and past participle: in American English both 'pleaded' and 'pled' are used, with 'pleaded' being more formal. British English predominantly uses 'pleaded'. The verb often implies a sense of desperation or legal formality.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
British English uses 'pleaded' as the standard past tense. American English accepts both 'pleaded' and 'pled', though 'pled' is more common in informal contexts and specific phrases.
Connotations
Primarily formal and legal in both varieties, but can carry emotional weight in everyday use.
Frequency
More frequent in American English due to the public nature of the legal system and media coverage.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
plead with [person] (to [verb])plead [emotion/cause] (e.g., ignorance, insanity)plead guilty/not guiltyplead for [noun]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “plead the fifth (US: refuse to answer on self-incrimination grounds)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare; may appear in negotiations as 'plead for more time' or 'plead a case' for a project.
Academic
Used in legal and literary studies; e.g., analyzing a character's actions or court proceedings.
Everyday
Used for earnest requests, e.g., 'She pleaded with him to stay.'
Technical
Primarily legal terminology for entering a formal plea in court.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- He pleaded with the judge for leniency.
- She pleaded ignorance when questioned.
American English
- He pleaded guilty to the charges.
- She pleaded with him to change his mind.
adverb
British English
- She looked at him pleadingly.
- He asked pleadingly for another chance.
American English
- He spoke pleadingly to the board.
- She smiled pleadingly, hoping for agreement.
adjective
British English
- She gave him a pleading look.
- His pleading tone was hard to ignore.
American English
- He had a pleading expression on his face.
- Her pleading eyes made me reconsider.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- She pleaded for help when she fell.
- The child pleaded for a new toy.
- He pleaded with his friend to tell the truth.
- They pleaded for more time to finish the work.
- The defendant pleaded not guilty in court yesterday.
- She pleaded ignorance about the missing documents.
- The lawyer advised his client to plead insanity due to the circumstances.
- Activists pleaded with the government to address the climate crisis.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'plea' + 'd' – when you make a desperate PLEA, you PLEAD.
Conceptual Metaphor
PLEADING IS AN EMOTIONAL APPEAL (often from a position of weakness).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Not a direct equivalent of 'защищать' (to defend).
- 'Plead guilty' is 'признать себя виновным', not just 'просить'.
- 'Plead for' can be 'умолять о', but context is key.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'plead' as a noun (correct noun is 'plea').
- Incorrect past tense: 'pleaded' is standard, 'pled' is informal AmE.
- Confusing 'plead with' (person) and 'plead for' (thing/action).
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following is a correct usage of 'plead'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
In British English, it is 'pleaded'. In American English, both 'pleaded' and 'pled' are used, with 'pleaded' being more formal.
In American English, 'pleaded' is preferred in formal and legal writing. 'Pled' is more informal and common in speech.
It's an American idiom referring to the Fifth Amendment of the US Constitution, meaning to refuse to answer a question to avoid self-incrimination.
Yes, it can be used in everyday language to mean making an earnest emotional request, e.g., 'He pleaded with her to stay.'