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Meaning & use

pleads guilty

verb·Advancedlegallaw

Last updated

UK/ˌpliːdz ˈɡɪlti/
US/ˌpliːdz ˈɡɪlti/

“pleads guilty” is a form of “plead guilty”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.

Meanings

  1. verbintransitivelegallaw

    States in court that you admit you committed the crime you are accused of.

    Grammar: Third-person singular of 'plead guilty'; the crime follows with 'to'.

    Patterns

    • pleads guilty to something
    • pleads guilty in court

    The former manager pleads guilty to stealing company funds.

    She pleads guilty and asks the judge for mercy.

    He pleads guilty to all three charges at the first hearing.

  2. verbintransitivefigurative

    Admits that you did something wrong, even outside a court.

    Grammar: Used figuratively in everyday speech; still followed by 'to'.

    Patterns

    • pleads guilty to doing something

    As a parent, she pleads guilty to spoiling her children.

    He pleads guilty to forgetting her birthday every year.

Word forms

base formplead guilty
past tense (US)pled guilty
past tense (UK)pleaded guilty
past participle (US)pled guilty
past participle (UK)pleaded guilty
-ing formpleading guilty

Common combinations

pleads guilty to a charge
The driver pleads guilty to a charge of dangerous driving.
pleads guilty in court
She pleads guilty in court and is given a fine.
pleads not guilty
He pleads not guilty and the trial is set for May.
refuse to plead guilty
The company refuses to plead guilty to the pollution charges.
plead guilty to fraud
The accountant pleaded guilty to fraud last week.

Synonyms and how they differ

admits
More general; it can be used for any admission, not just a formal one in court.
confesses
Suggests telling the whole truth about a crime, often to the police rather than a judge.
accepts the charges
A more formal legal phrase used in some court systems.

Opposites

pleads not guiltydenies

Word family

plea noun
A formal statement in court, such as 'a plea of guilty'.
pleading noun
The formal statements made by each side in a legal case.

Commonly confused: pleads guilty or pled?

pleads guilty vs pled

This is the American past tense of 'plead', not a separate word; British English usually uses 'pleaded'.

Practice

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