plead

plead — verb

1. to ask someone in a strong, emotional way for something you really want or need,

1.verbintransitiveB2
Definition

to ask someone in a strong, emotional way for something you really want or need, often because you are desperate.

Example

Maya pleaded with her father to let her keep the stray puppy.

plead with + person + to-infinitive

The villagers pleaded for clean water after the flood ruined their wells.

plead for + noun (the thing wanted)

Common collocations
  • plead with someone
  • plead for mercy
  • plead for help
  • plead desperately
  • plead repeatedly
Synonyms
  • beg

    more everyday and direct; can take a direct object ('begged him').

  • implore

    very formal and literary; stronger emotional weight than plead.

  • entreat

    formal, slightly old-fashioned; common in writing rather than speech.

Antonyms
  • demand

    asks with authority rather than emotion or desperation.

  • refuse

    opposite act — declining rather than asking.

Grammar Patterns

plead with + person + to-infinitive

plead for + noun

Usage Note

Almost always followed by 'with' before the person being asked, and 'for' before the thing wanted. Rarely takes a direct object the way 'beg' does — say 'plead with him' rather than 'plead him'.

Common Mistakes

She pleaded him to stay.
She pleaded with him to stay.
'plead' takes 'with' before the person, not a direct object.
He pleaded a job from his uncle.
He pleaded with his uncle for a job.
use 'for' to introduce what is being requested.

2. during a criminal trial, to give the court your formal answer to a charge — eith

2.verbtransitive / intransitiveB2
Definition

during a criminal trial, to give the court your formal answer to a charge — either admitting it, denying it, or naming a specific legal defense such as insanity.

Example

The defendant pleaded not guilty to all four charges of fraud.

plead + (not) guilty + to + charge

Marcus pleaded guilty in exchange for a shorter sentence.

plea bargain context

Common collocations
  • plead guilty
  • plead not guilty
  • plead no contest
  • plead insanity
  • plead self-defense
  • plead to a charge
Synonyms
  • answer

    general legal term for responding to a charge; less specific.

  • admit

    implies confessing guilt; 'plead guilty' is the formal court act.

  • deny

    covers 'plead not guilty' but is more general and used outside court too.

Antonyms
  • contest

    to actively fight a charge in court rather than enter a plea.

Grammar Patterns

plead guilty / not guilty / no contest

plead + noun (insanity / self-defense)

Usage Note

Only sense that pairs with 'guilty' / 'not guilty' / 'no contest' as a complement, and the only one with 'to' marking the specific charge. Distinguish from sense 1 — here the speaker is not asking for anything, only giving a legal answer.

Common Mistakes

He pleaded that he was guilty.
He pleaded guilty.
use the bare adjective straight after 'plead', not a that-clause.
She pleaded against the charges.
She pleaded not guilty to the charges.
the preposition is 'to' the charges, not 'against'.

3. to publicly argue in support of a person, group, or idea, often by giving reason

3.verbtransitiveC1
Definition

to publicly argue in support of a person, group, or idea, often by giving reasons why others should agree or help.

Example

The senator pleaded the cause of small farmers during the budget debate.

plead + the cause of + group

Dr. Tanaka has spent ten years pleading the case for cleaner rivers in her region.

plead the case for + issue

Common collocations
  • plead a case
  • plead a cause
  • plead for
  • plead the rights of
Synonyms
  • advocate

    broader and more neutral; common in political and policy writing.

  • champion

    stronger commitment over time; suggests a public spokesperson role.

  • argue for

    everyday alternative; less formal than plead a case.

Antonyms
  • oppose

    to argue against rather than for the position.

Grammar Patterns

plead + noun (a case / a cause)

plead + for / against + noun

Usage Note

Almost always takes 'case' or 'cause' as the object — these are the natural collocations. Frequent in journalism and political writing about advocacy.

Common Mistakes

He pleaded about cleaner energy.
He pleaded the case for cleaner energy.
needs a noun like 'case' or 'cause' as object.

4. to give a particular condition — such as illness, lack of knowledge, or lack of

4.verbtransitiveC1
Definition

to give a particular condition — such as illness, lack of knowledge, or lack of money — as the reason why you cannot or did not do something.

Example

Marcus pleaded illness and skipped the office party on Friday night.

plead + noun (excuse) + and + clause

When asked about the missing files, the assistant pleaded ignorance.

plead ignorance — common fixed collocation

Common collocations
  • plead ignorance
  • plead illness
  • plead poverty
  • plead exhaustion
  • plead a prior engagement
Synonyms
  • claim

    more neutral; doesn't imply doubt about the truth of the excuse.

  • cite

    formal; presents the reason as evidence rather than as a personal excuse.

  • use as an excuse

    everyday paraphrase; less concise than 'plead'.

Antonyms
  • admit

    to acknowledge rather than offer a covering reason.

Grammar Patterns

plead + noun (ignorance / illness / poverty)

Usage Note

Object is almost always a state or condition (illness, ignorance, poverty, exhaustion, a prior commitment). Often carries a hint that the speaker doubts the excuse is fully true, especially in 'plead poverty' or 'plead ignorance'.

Common Mistakes

She pleaded that she was tired.
She pleaded tiredness.' / 'She said she was too tired.
'plead' in this sense takes a noun, not a that-clause.
He pleaded for ignorance.
He pleaded ignorance.
no preposition between 'plead' and the named excuse.

Word family

  • plea
    nounC1
  • pleader
    nounC2
  • pleading
    nounC1
  • pleadingly
    adverbC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All five verbs cover urgent asking, but they differ in register and structure. 'Beg' is the most everyday and emotionally raw — a child begs for sweets, a stranger begs for change. 'Plead' sounds slightly more dignified and is the natural choice in news writing or formal speech ('parents pleaded with police for information'); it almost always takes 'with' before the person and 'for' before the thing. 'Implore' is high register and literary — used for very serious appeals ('she implored him to reconsider'). 'Entreat' feels old-fashioned and now appears mostly in writing or historical fiction. 'Beseech' is poetic and archaic ('I beseech you, my lord'), suitable for sermons or drama but odd in casual modern speech. Compare: 'The mother begged the doctor to save her son' (raw, immediate) vs 'The mother pleaded with the doctor to save her son' (slightly more measured) vs 'The mother implored the doctor to save her son' (formal, dramatic).

plead ↗beg ↗imploreentreatbeseech

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • plead the Fifth
  • plead one's case
  • plead poverty

Prepositions

  • with (a person)
  • for (a thing)
  • to (a charge)

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

Came into English in the 13th century from Old French 'plaidier', meaning to argue in court or take part in a lawsuit. That word grew out of Latin 'placitum', literally 'a thing pleasing' or 'an agreed decision', from 'placere' (to please). The earliest English uses kept the legal sense — to argue a case before a judge — and only later did 'plead' broaden into the everyday meaning of begging or appealing emotionally. The legal and emotional senses still coexist today, which is why 'plead guilty' and 'plead with someone' feel like very different actions.