plead

/pliːd/
verb
  1. To make an urgent, emotional request or appeal.
    • The charity pleaded for donations to help the flood victims.
    • He pleaded for more time to finish the project.
    • She pleaded with her parents to let her go to the concert.
  2. To state in court whether one is guilty or not guilty of a crime.
    • The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charges.
    • He decided to plead guilty in exchange for a lighter sentence.
    • The lawyer advised her client to plead no contest.
  3. To argue or present a case in a court of law.
    • The attorney pleaded the case before the jury.
    • She pleaded her client's innocence with great skill.
    • He spent years pleading cases in small-town courts.
  4. To give a reason or excuse for something.
    • He pleaded ignorance of the rules to avoid a penalty.
    • She pleaded illness as the reason for missing the meeting.
    • The student pleaded a family emergency to get an extension.
Antonyms