Meaning & use
plead
To ask for something earnestly and emotionally, or to formally answer a criminal charge in court.
See it in a sentence
She pleaded with the officer to let her explain what had happened.
The defendant pleaded not guilty to all charges brought against him.
A note on using this word
In legal contexts, the past tense is usually pleaded, though pled is also accepted, especially in American English.
Words with a similar meaning
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