A Plea Is a Formal Answer Before It Is a Request
A plea is an urgent appeal. In court it is the defendant's formal answer to a charge.
A plea is an urgent emotional appeal, and in law the answer a defendant gives to a charge. The legal sense is older and more precise: entering a plea of not guilty is not begging for anything, it is a formal statement that the charge is denied. The emotional sense grew out of that, which is why *to plead* can mean both to argue a case and to beg. The root is Latin *placitum*, that which has been agreed, from *placere*, to please — the same source as *please* and *pleasant*.
- An urgent appeal. *A plea for help.*
- A formal answer. *A plea of not guilty.*
- Plea bargain. *A plea bargain.*
- To plead — the verb. *To plead.*
- Latin — *placitum*. *The root.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | plea | A plea. |
| Plural | pleas | Pleas. |
| Verb | plead | To plead. |
| Past | pleaded or pled | Pleaded. |
| Latin | placere | To please. |
- A plea for calm.Appeal.
- He entered a plea.Law.
- Placitum means what is agreed.Etymology.
The placere family
- Plea — a formal answer, then an appeal
- Please — to give pleasure
- Pleasant — giving pleasure
- Placid — pleasing, calm
- Placebo — literally I shall please
Old French *plai*, from Latin *placitum*, a decree or that which has been agreed, from *placere*, to please.
Is a plea in court a request?
No. It is a formal answer to a charge, stating whether the accused admits or denies it.
Is plea related to please?
Yes. Both come from Latin placere, to please, through the idea of what has been agreed.