pleading

Also found in: Thesaurus, Legal, Idioms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.

plead·ing

(plē′dĭng)

1. A plea; an entreaty.

2. Law A formal statement, usually written, setting forth the cause of action or the defense of a party to a lawsuit.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

pleading

(ˈpliːdɪŋ)

1. (Law) the act of presenting a case in court, as by a lawyer on behalf of his client

2. (Law) the art or science of preparing the formal written statements of the parties to a legal action. See also pleadings

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

plead•ing

(ˈpli dɪŋ)

n.

1. the act of a person who pleads.

a. a formal, usu. written statement setting forth the cause of action or defense of a case.

b. the skill or practice of setting forth pleas in legal causes.

c. the advocating of a cause in a court of law.

[1250–1300]

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Switch to new thesaurus

Noun	1.	pleading - (law) a statement in legal and logical form stating something on behalf of a party to a legal proceeding bill of Particulars - the particular events to be dealt with in a criminal trial; advises the defendant and the court of the facts the defendant will be required to meet affirmative pleading - any defensive pleading that affirms facts rather than merely denying the facts alleged by the plaintiff alternative pleading, pleading in the alternative - a pleading that alleges facts so separate that it is difficult to determine which facts the person intends to rely on answer - the principal pleading by the defendant in response to plaintiff's complaint; in criminal law it consists of the defendant's plea of `guilty' or `not guilty' (or nolo contendere); in civil law it must contain denials of all allegations in the plaintiff's complaint that the defendant hopes to controvert and it can contain affirmative defenses or counterclaims charge, complaint - (criminal law) a pleading describing some wrong or offense; "he was arrested on a charge of larceny" complaint - (civil law) the first pleading of the plaintiff setting out the facts on which the claim for relief is based defective pleading - any pleading that fails to conform in form or substance to minimum standards of accuracy or sufficiency demurrer - (law) any pleading that attacks the legal sufficiency of the opponent's pleadings rebuttal, rebutter - (law) a pleading by the defendant in reply to a plaintiff's surrejoinder replication - (law) a pleading made by a plaintiff in reply to the defendant's plea or answer rejoinder - (law) a pleading made by a defendant in response to the plaintiff's replication special pleading - (law) a pleading that alleges new facts in avoidance of the opposing allegations surrebuttal, surrebutter - (law) a pleading by the plaintiff in reply to the defendant's rebutter surrejoinder - (law) a pleading by the plaintiff in reply to the defendant's rejoinder statement - a message that is stated or declared; a communication (oral or written) setting forth particulars or facts etc; "according to his statement he was in London on that day" law, jurisprudence - the collection of rules imposed by authority; "civilization presupposes respect for the law"; "the great problem for jurisprudence to allow freedom while enforcing order"
Adj.	1.	pleading - begging beseeching, imploring

Translations

postulante

pleading

[ˈpliːdɪŋ]

A. N (= entreaties) → súplicas fpl (Jur) → alegatos mpl
special pleading → argumentos mpl especiosos

B. ADJ [tone etc] → suplicante, de súplica

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

pleading

[ˈpliːdɪŋ]

adj [expression, eyes, voice] → implorant(e)

n (= entreaty) → imploration f

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

pleading

n → Bitten nt; (Jur) → Plädoyer nt

adj look, voice → flehend

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

pleading

[ˈpliːdɪŋ]

1. n (entreaties) → suppliche fpl

2. adj → supplichevole

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

References in classic literature ?

The city found there all that is required for a city like Paris; a chapel in which to pray to God; a plaidoyer , or pleading room, in which to hold hearings, and to repel, at need, the King's people; and under the roof, an arsenac full of artillery.

View in context

If at this moment the sweet voice of Renee had sounded in his ears pleading for mercy, or the fair Mercedes had entered and said, "In the name of God, I conjure you to restore me my affianced husband," his cold and trembling hands would have signed his release; but no voice broke the stillness of the chamber, and the door was opened only by Villefort's valet, who came to tell him that the travelling carriage was in readiness.

Villefort knew not when he should return, and Renee, far from pleading for Dantes, hated the man whose crime separated her from her lover.

View in context

Whether those pleading orators were persons educated in the general knowledge of equity, or only in provincial, national, and other local customs?

View in context

The first object that met her view was her client pleading, with conspicuous success, for himself!

View in context

And now, although pleading guilty to long delay, I have kept my promise in this book.

View in context

Earnestly pleading with her friend, Clara advances toward the window.

View in context

These pleadings, and the counter pleadings, being duly heard, the very learned judge in set terms decided, to wit, --That as for the boat, he awarded it to the plaintiffs, because they had merely abandoned it to save their lives; but that with regard to the controverted whale, harpoons, and line, they belonged to the defendants; the whale, because it was a Loose-Fish at the time of the final capture; and the harpoons and line because when the fish made off with them, it (the fish) acquired a property in those articles; and hence anybody who afterwards took the fish had a right to them.

View in context

| Clare Smith, 36, of Oakland Street, Warrington, was sentenced to eight years and nine months after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine.

/ Jamie Simpson, of Delery Drive, [...]

Sean Rogers, 29, of South Shields, has been jailed for five years and four months after pleading guilty to one count of grievous bodily harm with intent.

22 North East offenders who have been convicted and jailed throughout April; North East criminals who appeared in courts around the region and who were locked up throughout the month of April 2015

He was fined a further PS110 after pleading guilty to driving with no insurance.

BROUGHT TO JUSTICE

Unfortunately, by pleading not guilty they run the risk of upsetting the judge and getting a very harsh sentence.