An appeal, petition, urgent prayer or entreaty. / An excuse; an apology. / That which is alleged or pleaded, in defense or in justification.

(chiefly England regional, Scotland) To plead; to argue.

plural of plea

Third-person singular simple present indicative form of plea

simple past tense and past participle of plea

present participle of plea

(US, law) An agreement in which a defendant agrees to plead guilty to a lesser charge instead of not guilty to a greater one

(US, law) Alternative form of plea bargain (“an agreement between a defendant and the prosecution in which the defendant agrees to a plea such as guilty or nolo contendere to a lesser charge rather than contesting a greater charge”).

(US, law) To make an agreement in which a defendant agrees to plead guilty to a lesser charge instead of not guilty to a greater one.

plural of plea of the crown