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Webster 1913 Edition


Plea

Plea

(plē)
,
Noun.
[OE.
plee
,
plai
,
plait
, fr. OF.
plait
,
plaid
,
plet
, LL.
placitum
judgment, decision, assembly, court, fr. L.
placitum
that which is pleasing, an opinion, sentiment, from
placere
to please. See
Please
, and cf.
Placit
,
Plead
.]
1.
(Law)
That which is alleged by a party in support of his cause; in a stricter sense, an allegation of fact in a cause, as distinguished from a demurrer; in a still more limited sense, and in modern practice, the defendant’s answer to the plaintiff's declaration and demand. That which the plaintiff alleges in his declaration is answered and repelled or justified by the defendant's plea. In chancery practice, a plea is a special answer showing or relying upon one or more things as a cause why the suit should be either dismissed, delayed, or barred. In criminal practice, the plea is the defendant's formal answer to the indictment or information presented against him.
2.
(Law)
A cause in court; a lawsuit;
as, the Court of Common
Pleas
. See under
Common
.
The Supreme Judicial Court shall have cognizance of
pleas
real, personal, and mixed.
Laws of Massachusetts.
3.
That which is alleged or pleaded, in defense or in justification; an excuse; an apology.
“Necessity, the tyrant's plea.”
Milton.
No
plea
must serve; 't is cruelty to spare.
Denham.
4.
An urgent prayer or entreaty.
Pleas of the crown
(Eng. Law)
,
criminal actions.

Webster 1828 Edition


Plea

PLEA

,
Noun.
[L. lis, litis.]
1.
In law, that which is alleged by a party in support of his demand; but in a more limited and technical sense, the answer of the defendant to the plaintiff's declaration and demand. That which the plaintiff alleges in his declaration is answered and repelled or justified by the defendant's plea. Pleas are dilatory, or pleas to the action. Dilatory pleas, are to the jurisdiction of the court, to the disability of the plaintiff, or in abatement. Pleas to the action are an answer to the merits of the complaint, which confesses or denies it. Pleas that deny the plaintiff's complaint or demand, are the general issue, which denies the whole declaration; or special pleas in bar, which state something which precludes the plaintiff's right of recovery.
2.
A cause in court; a lawsuit, or a criminal process; as the pleas of the crown; the court of common pleas.
The supreme judicial court shall have cognizance of pleas real, personal and mixed.
3.
That which is alleged in defense or justification; an excuse; an apology; as the tyrant's plea.
When such occasions are,
No plea must serve; 'tis cruelty to spare.
4.
Urgent prayer or entreaty.

Definition 2024


plea

plea

See also: pleâ

English

Noun

plea (plural pleas)

  1. An appeal, petition, urgent prayer or entreaty.
    a plea for mercy
  2. An excuse; an apology.
  3. That which is alleged or pleaded, in defense or in justification.
  4. (law) That which is alleged by a party in support of his cause.
  5. (law) An allegation of fact in a cause, as distinguished from a demurrer.
  6. (law) The defendant’s answer to the plaintiff’s declaration and demand.
  7. (law) A cause in court; a lawsuit; as, the Court of Common Pleas.
    • (Can we date this quote?) Laws of Massachusetts.
      The Supreme Judicial Court shall have cognizance of pleas real, personal, and mixed.

Usage notes

In 19th century U.K. law, that which the plaintiff alleges in his declaration is answered and repelled or justified by the defendant’s plea. In chancery practice, a plea is a special answer showing or relying upon one or more things as a cause why the suit should be either dismissed, delayed, or barred. In criminal practice, the plea is the defendant’s formal answer to the indictment or information presented against him/her.

Related terms

Translations

Verb

plea (third-person singular simple present pleas, present participle pleaing, simple past and past participle pleaed)

  1. (chiefly England regional, Scotland) To plead; to argue. [from 15th c.]
    • 1824, James Hogg, The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner:
      With my riches, my unhappiness was increased tenfold; and here, with another great acquisition of property, for which I had pleaed, and which I had gained in a dream, my miseries and difficulties were increasing.

Anagrams