- (formal) a serious emotional request, especially for something needing action now
- plea for something She made an impassioned plea for help.
- plea (to somebody) (to do something) a plea to industries to stop pollution
- He refused to listen to her tearful pleas.
Extra Examples- a final plea for his life
- Despite pleas from his mother, the gunman refused to give himself up.
- Hospital visiting hours were extended in response to pleas from patients.
- She made an emotional plea for her daughter's killer to be caught.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- desperate
- strong
- urgent
- …
- make
- issue
- ignore
- …
- despite a/the plea
- plea by
- plea from
- …
- (law) a statement made by somebody or for somebody who is accused of a crime
- a plea of guilty/not guilty
- to enter a guilty plea
Extra ExamplesTopics Law and justicec1- Her lawyer entered a plea of guilty on her behalf.
- The prosecution accepted a plea of manslaughter.
- The terms of the plea agreements weren't disclosed.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- guilty
- not guilty
- insanity
- …
- enter
- hear
- change
- …
- bargain
- bargaining
- agreement
- …
- plea for
- plea of
- cop a plea
- plea of something (law) a reason given to a court for doing or not doing something
- He was charged with murder, but got off on a plea of insanity.
- These facts cannot support a plea of diminished responsibility.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- guilty
- not guilty
- insanity
- …
- enter
- hear
- change
- …
- bargain
- bargaining
- agreement
- …
- plea for
- plea of
- cop a plea
Word OriginMiddle English (in the sense ‘lawsuit’): from Old French plait, plaid ‘agreement, discussion’, from Latin placitum ‘a decree’, neuter past participle of placere ‘to please’.
Check pronunciation:
plea