Meaning & use
enter a plea
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Meaning
phrasefixed phraselegallaw
To state formally in court whether you admit or deny a criminal charge.
Grammar: Used as a complete verb phrase; the person is the subject, and the plea comes after 'of': enter a plea of guilty.
Patterns
- enter a plea of guilty
- enter a plea of not guilty
- enter a plea to something
The defendant will enter a plea at the hearing next week.
She entered a plea of not guilty to the charge of theft.
If he refuses to enter a plea, the judge may enter one for him.
Common combinations
- enter a plea of guilty
- He decided to enter a plea of guilty and accept the sentence.
- enter a plea of not guilty
- The lawyer advised her to enter a plea of not guilty.
- refuse to enter a plea
- The accused refused to enter a plea, so the court proceeded without one.
- enter a plea to the charge
- She entered a plea to the charge of fraud.
Synonyms and how they differ
- plead
- Use 'plead' as a verb: 'He pleaded guilty'; 'enter a plea' is the formal court phrase.
Word family
Practice
The defendant decided to _____ a plea of not guilty.
Choose one answer.
'Enter a plea' is the fixed legal phrase. 'Make a plea' can mean 'make an appeal', but it is not used for the formal court statement; 'give' and 'say' do not collocate with 'a plea' in this legal sense.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “enter a plea”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.