Plead Guilty: Definition, Usage, and Examples

Meaning 1：admit guilt (plead guilty)

plead guilty 🔊

/pliːd ˈɡɪlti/

phr.v.

To say in court that you are guilty of a crime.

Person pleading guilty in courtroom admitting fault

admit guilt 🔊

➕

/ədˈmɪt ɡɪlt/

phr.v.

To formally state in a court of law that one is responsible for a crime, often as part of a plea bargain.

📁 Category：Laws & Regulations 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

Plead from Old French plaidier (to argue); guilty from Old English gylt (offense).

💡 Mnemonic

Imagine a person in court saying 'Please, I am guilty' to avoid a harsher penalty.

📖 Example

After reviewing the facts, he decided to plead guilty to the traffic ticket to save time. 🔊 After reviewing the facts, he decided to plead guilty to the traffic ticket to save time.

🔗 Collocations

plead guilty to a charge – to admit responsibility for a specific accusation

plead guilty in court – to make the admission during a legal proceeding

plead guilty as part of a plea bargain – to admit guilt in exchange for a reduced sentence

🔄 Synonyms

admit guilt (phr.) – to acknowledge one's responsibility for a crime

confess to the crime (phr.) – to state openly that one committed the crime

declare oneself guilty (phr.) – to formally announce that one is guilty

🚫 Antonyms

plead not guilty (phr.v.) – to formally deny responsibility for a crime

deny the charges (phr.) – to refuse to admit the accusations

claim innocence (phr.) – to assert that one is not guilty

🌱 Derivatives

plea (n.) – a formal statement by or on behalf of a defendant in court

guilt (n.) – the fact of having committed a crime

guilty (adj.) – responsible for a crime

📖 Cultural Story

In medieval English courts, defendants made a formal response to charges called a 'plea'. 'Pleading guilty' became the standard term for admitting wrongdoing.