## Meanings
1. To ask for something in a very emotional and urgent way.
2. To officially state in a court of law whether you are guilty or not guilty.
3. To give something as an excuse or reason.

## Examples
- He pleaded with me not to leave the house.
- The defendant pleaded not guilty.
- Not wishing to attend the banquet, I pleaded illness.

## Derived Forms
- counterplead
- emplead
- implead
- interplead
- misplead
- outplead
- pleadable
- pleader
- replead
- unpleaded

## Related Forms
- plea
- pleasant
- please
- pleasurable
- pleasure

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: pleden
- Root: plaider
- Root: placitum

## Etymology
From Middle English pleden, plaiden, from Old French plaider (“to plead, offer a plea”), from plait, from Medieval Latin placitum (“a decree, sentence, suit, plea, etc.", in Classical Latin, "an opinion, determination, prescription, order; literally, that which is pleasing, pleasure”), neuter of placitus, past participle of placeō (“to please”). Cognate with Spanish pleitear (“to litigate, take to court”).

## AI Etymology
Plead comes from Middle English pleden, plaiden, from Old French plaider (“to plead, offer a plea”), from plait, from Medieval Latin placitum (“a decree, sentence, suit, plea, etc.", in Classical Latin, "an opinion, determination, prescription, order; literally, that which is pleasing, pleasure”), neuter of placitus, past participle of placeō (“to please”). Cognate with Spanish pleitear (“to litigate, take to court”). In present-day English it covers to ask for something in a very emotional and urgent way, to officially state in a court of law whether you are guilty or not guilty, and to give something as an excuse or reason. The wider family includes derived forms such as counterplead, emplead, implead, interplead, misplead and related forms such as plea, pleasant, please, pleasurable.

## Topics
- Law & Government
- Crime & Justice

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