Definition of: plea

(plē) noun
1. An act of pleading, or that which is pleaded; an appeal; entreaty; prayer: a plea for aid.
2. An excuse; pretext or justification: necessity, the tyrant's plea.
3. Law a An allegation made by either party in a cause; a pleading, b In common–law practice, a defendant's answer of fact to the plaintiff's declaration, known in the United States as the answer. c In equity, a special answer, showing a reason why the writ should be dismissed, delayed, or barred. d A suit or action: usually in the plural. See synonyms under APOLOGY.
—Common Pleas The Court of Common Pleas. See under COURT.
—special plea A plea to prevent action which, while admitting the plaintiff's allegations, avoids them by setting up new matter. [<OF plait <L placitum opinion, orig. pp. of placere seem right, please]