plead

plead

v. 1) in civil lawsuits and petitions, the filing of any document (pleading) including complaints, petitions, declarations, motions, and memoranda of points and authorities. 2) in criminal law, the entry of plea of a defendant in response to each charge of criminal conduct. (See: plea, pleading)

plead

(Allege in a legal action), verb advance, affirm, affirm explicitly, allege, assert, assert formally, assert posiiively, attest to, bring forward, contend, emphasize, maintain, make an affidavit, make an assertion, present, proclaim, put forth, put forward, put in an affidavit, reaffirm, reassert, set forth, state, state emphatically, stress, swear
Associated concepts: plead a cause of action, responsive pleading

---

plead

(Argue a case), verb advocate, argue at the bar, argue the point, bring into court, causam agere, contend for, defend a case, maintain by arguments, prosecute one's case, put one's case, speak for, speak up for, stand up for, state one's case, urge reasons for, use arguments

---

plead

(Implore), verb address a request, beseech, call upon, charge, clamor for, entreat, importune, make a reeuest, obsecrare, orare, petition, prefer a request, press, put up a request, request, solicit, supplicate, urge

---

See also: address, adduce, allege, answer, bear, depose, exhort, importune, intercede, persuade, petition, pray, press, pressure, reason, reply, respond, solicit, sue, testify

TO PLEAD. The formal entry of the defendant's defence on the record. In a popular sense, it signifies the argument in a cause, but it is not so used by the profession. Steph. Pl. Appx. note I; Story, Eq. Pl. Sec. 5, note.