• IPA: /ˈpliːd/

Past tense

• IPA: /ˈpliːdəd/
• IPA: /plɛd/ (both pled and plead)

plead (pleads, present participle pleading; past and past participle pleaded)

1. (ambitransitive) To present (an argument or a plea), especially in a legal case.

   The defendant has decided to plead not guilty.

   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), imprinted at London: By Robert Barker, […], OCLC 964384981 ↗, Job 16:21 ↗:

     O that one might plead for a man with God, as a man pleadeth for his neighbour!

2. (intransitive) To beg, beseech, or implore.

   He pleaded with me not to leave the house.

3. (transitive) To offer by way of excuse.

   Not wishing to attend the banquet, I pleaded illness.

4. (transitive) To discuss by arguments.

• plea
• pleasant
• please
• pleasurable
• pleasure

• French: plaider
• German: plädieren, bekennen (reflexive), berufen (reflexive, + auf), eintreten (+ für), aussprechen (reflexive, + für)
• Italian: dichiararsi (colpevole o noncolpevole)
• Portuguese: alegar
• Russian: защища́ть

• German: (dringend) bitten, anflehen, beschwören
• Portuguese: implorar
• Spanish: rogar