{
    "term": "plead",
    "partOfSpeech": "verb",
    "ox5000": true,
    "cefr": "c1",
    "verbForms": {
        "presentSimple": {
            "iYouWeThey": "plead",
            "heSheIt": "pleads"
        },
        "pastSimple": "pleaded",
        "pastParticiple": "pleaded",
        "ingForm": "pleading"
    },
    "definitions": [
        {
            "senseNumber": 1,
            "definition": "to ask somebody for something in a very strong and serious way",
            "sensetop": "plead (with somebody) (to do something)plead (with somebody) (for something)plead to do something+ speech",
            "cefr": "c1",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "She pleaded with him not to go.",
                    "contextForm": "plead (with somebody) (to do something)"
                },
                {
                    "text": "I was forced to plead for my child's life.",
                    "contextForm": "plead (with somebody) (for something)"
                },
                {
                    "text": "pleading eyes"
                },
                {
                    "text": "He pleaded to be allowed to see his mother one more time.",
                    "contextForm": "plead to do something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "‘Do something!’ she pleaded.",
                    "contextForm": "+ speech"
                },
                {
                    "text": "His eyes silently pleaded with her."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The teacher was today desperately pleading for news of her son who has disappeared."
                },
                {
                    "text": "They pleaded for mercy."
                }
            ],
            "synonyms": "beg",
            "collocations": {
                "adverb": ["almost", "silently", "successfully"],
                "preposition": ["for", "with"]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 2,
            "definition": "to state in court that you are guilty or not guilty of a crime",
            "sensetop": "(+ adj.)plead something",
            "cefr": "c1",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "to **plead guilty/not guilty**",
                    "contextForm": "(+ adj.)"
                },
                {
                    "text": "How do you plead? *(= said by the judge at the start of the trial)*"
                },
                {
                    "text": "The accused was deemed unfit to plead."
                },
                {
                    "text": "He tried to plead insanity *(= say that he was seriously mentally ill and therefore not responsible for his actions)* but the court convicted him.",
                    "contextForm": "plead something"
                }
            ],
            "topics": ["Law and justice"],
            "collocations": {
                "phrases": ["plead guilty", "plead not guilty"]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 3,
            "definition": "to present a case to a court",
            "sensetop": "plead something",
            "cefr": "c2",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "They hired a top lawyer to plead their case."
                }
            ],
            "topics": ["Law and justice"]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 4,
            "definition": "to argue in support of somebody/something",
            "sensetop": "plead somethingplead for somebody/something",
            "cefr": "c1",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "She appeared on television to plead the cause of political prisoners everywhere.",
                    "contextForm": "plead something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "The United Nations has pleaded for a halt to the bombing.",
                    "contextForm": "plead for somebody/something"
                }
            ],
            "topics": ["Opinion and argument"]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 5,
            "definition": "to give something as an explanation or excuse for something",
            "sensetop": "plead something (for something)plead that…",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "He pleaded family problems for his lack of concentration."
                }
            ]
        }
    ],
    "pronunciations": {
        "uk": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/pliːd/",
                "audio": "pl/plead/plead__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/pliːdz/",
                "audio": "pl/plead/pleads__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈpliːdɪd/",
                "audio": "pl/plead/pleaded__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/pled/",
                "audio": "pl/plead/pled__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈpliːdɪŋ/",
                "audio": "pl/plead/pleading__gb_1.mp3"
            }
        ],
        "us": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/pliːd/",
                "audio": "pl/plead/plead__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/pliːdz/",
                "audio": "pl/plead/pleads__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈpliːdɪd/",
                "audio": "pl/plead/pleaded__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/pled/",
                "audio": "pl/plead/pled__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈpliːdɪŋ/",
                "audio": "pl/plead/pleading__us_1.mp3"
            }
        ]
    },
    "wordOrigin": "Middle English (in the sense ‘to wrangle’): from Old French plaidier ‘go to law’, from plaid ‘discussion’, from Latin placitum ‘a decree’, neuter past participle of placere ‘to please’."
}