plead

verb (past and past participle pleaded or North American, Scottish, or dialect pled /plɛd/)

• 1 [reporting verb] make an emotional appeal: [no object]:she pleaded with them not to gag the boy [with direct speech]:‘Don’t go,’ she pleaded [with infinitive]:Anne pleaded to go with her (as adjective pleading)he gave her a pleading look

• 2 [with object] present and argue for (a position), especially in court or in another public context: the idea that in public relations work someone is paid to plead a special case is disliked
• [no object] Law address a court as an advocate on behalf of a party: the Constitution prohibits a retired Supreme Court judge from pleading before any court
• [no object, with complement] Law state formally in court whether one is guilty or not guilty of the offence with which one is charged:the youth pleaded guilty to murdering the girl
• Law invoke (a reason or a point of law) as an accusation or defence:on trial for attempted murder, she pleaded self-defence
• offer or present as an excuse for doing or not doing something:he pleaded family commitments as a reason for not attending