plea
/pliː/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.95 in modern English
6
Scrabble Score
4
Letters
1
Syllables
4
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
That which is alleged or pleaded, in defense or in justification.
noun
An allegation of fact in a cause, as distinguished from a demurrer.
noun
The defendant’s answer to the plaintiff’s declaration and demand.
Example Sentences
- "Even if only one person answers my plea for someone to correspond with it will be a blessing."
- "a plea for mercy"
- "make a plea"
- "Necessity, the tyrant’s plea."
- "No Plea must serve; ’tis cruelty to spare."
- "they or any three of them shall be a Court and have cognizance of pleas real, personal, and mixed."
Etymology
From Middle English ple, from Old French plait, plaid, from Medieval Latin placitum (“a decree, sentence, suit, plea, etc., Latin an opinion, determination, prescription, order; literally, that which is pleasing, pleasure”), neuter of placitus, past participle of placere (“to please”). Cognate with Spanish pleito (“lawsuit, suit”). Doublet of placit. See also please, pleasure.