plea

noun

ˈplē How to pronounce plea (audio)
Definition of pleanext
1
as in appeal
an earnest request the captive made an impassioned plea for his life to be spared

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in excuse
an explanation that frees one from fault or blame my only plea is that I've been overworked lately

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun plea contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of plea are alibi, apologia, apology, excuse, and pretext. While all these words mean "matter offered in explanation or defense," plea stresses argument or appeal for understanding or sympathy or mercy.

her usual plea that she was nearsighted

When is alibi a more appropriate choice than plea?

The words alibi and plea can be used in similar contexts, but alibi implies a desire to shift blame or evade punishment and imputes mere plausibility to the explanation.

his alibi failed to stand scrutiny

When can apologia be used instead of plea?

The meanings of apologia and plea largely overlap; however, apologia implies not admission of guilt or regret but a desire to make clear the grounds for some course, belief, or position.

his speech was an apologia for his foreign policy

When would apology be a good substitute for plea?

While the synonyms apology and plea are close in meaning, apology usually applies to an expression of regret for a mistake or wrong with implied admission of guilt or fault and with or without reference to mitigating or extenuating circumstances.

said by way of apology that he would have met them if he could

Where would excuse be a reasonable alternative to plea?

While in some cases nearly identical to plea, excuse implies an intent to avoid or remove blame or censure.

used illness as an excuse for missing the meeting

When is it sensible to use pretext instead of plea?

In some situations, the words pretext and plea are roughly equivalent. However, pretext suggests subterfuge and the offering of false reasons or motives in excuse or explanation.

used any pretext to get out of work

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of plea The other charges were dropped as part of his plea deal. —Marni Rose McFall, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 July 2025 Amy and Will gave their final pleas to the houseguests, but neither speeches provided any fireworks. —David Wysong, The Enquirer, 26 July 2025 There is no evidence Mueller weighed in on the investigation of Epstein, and his plea deal was handled by Alexander Acosta, then U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, whom Trump appointed as Secretary of Labor in his first term. —Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 19 July 2025 Some families supported the plea deal to avoid a lengthy trial while ensuring punishment for Kohberger. —Shannon Tyler, Idaho Statesman, 19 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for plea
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plea
  1. appeal
  2. excuse
  3. prayer
  4. justification
  5. petition
  6. reason
  7. pleading
  8. apology
Noun
  • Despite Chinese foldables being clearly superior the past few years, various factors (some out of their control) have prevented Chinese foldables from reaching mainstream appeal.
    — Ben Sin, Forbes.com, 26 July 2025
  • But the committee also does mediation, appeals and training.
    — Damenica Ellis July 25, Charlotte Observer, 25 July 2025
Definition of appeal
Noun
  • Freedom of speech has become an excuse to outright discriminate against entire groups of people and incite hate and violence without consequence.
    — Tracy Sachs, Sun Sentinel, 29 July 2025
  • But that’s not even a good enough excuse for how bad the Liberty looked in Monday’s 92-82 loss to the Dallas Wings at College Park Center.
    — Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 29 July 2025
Definition of excuse
Noun
  • At Moody, the theology major found purpose leading weekly devotionals in her dorm, guiding her peers in prayer.
    — Kate Armanini, Chicago Tribune, 1 Aug. 2025
  • Thursday is the day for Block, Instacart, Pinterest, SMIC, Sony, and Twilio. Thoughts and prayers for all the tech CFOs out there—plus the CISOs packing for Black Hat and Def Con.
    — Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 1 Aug. 2025
Definition of prayer
Noun
  • The justification for these cuts has been cloaked in the language of fiscal responsibility.
    — TrickleUp, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2025
  • The legal justification is that motorcyclists are less visible, especially in heavy traffic or poor weather conditions, which increases the risk of collisions.
    — Marley Malenfant, Austin American Statesman, 28 July 2025
Definition of justification
Noun
  • The petition notes Houck is incarcerated and Rogers is deceased, and the child currently lives with McIlvoy.
    — Killian Baarlaer, The Courier-Journal, 31 July 2025
  • Clarke immediately called for help from Sawyer’s grandfather and aunt, who were also at the home, telling them to call 911, the petition said.
    — Jennifer Rodriguez, Kansas City Star, 30 July 2025
Definition of petition
Noun
  • Football reasons seem a more likely impediment to moving there.
    — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 25 July 2025
  • The administration maintains that the naysayers are wrong, and alas, there is indeed reason to suspect the official narrative of financial experts.
    — Tiana Lowe Doescher, The Washington Examiner, 25 July 2025
Definition of reason
Noun
  • Roberson currently has a pleading pending for the state’s Court of Criminal Appeals.
    — Ashley Killough, CNN Money, 16 July 2025
  • After working as a critic for various publications in the UK for over a decade, I was haunted by the desperate look in the eyes of the hundreds of performers I’d been sent to review, a look that fell somewhere between pleading and confrontational.
    — Charlotte Runcie July 10, Literary Hub, 10 July 2025
Definition of pleading
Noun
  • Restoring fairness involves apologies, but is supported through consistent effort and meaningful actions.
    — Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 31 July 2025
  • The stock is in a better position than last year, when company management issued a rare public apology for disappointing results.
    — Bloomberg, Mercury News, 30 July 2025
Definition of apology

Browse Nearby Words

plazas
plea
pleach
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Plea.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plea. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on plea

Nglish: Translation of plea for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Using Bullet Points ( • )

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Our Best Historical Slang Terms

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Better Ways to Say 'This Sucks'

8 Words with Fascinating Histories

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Our Best Historical Slang Terms

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
iykyk if you know you know slang written in a neon
Quiz: Abbreviation Station TFW you have to figure out what 15 abbreviations ...
See All