Plead Not Guilty: Definition, Usage and Examples

Meaning 1：deny guilt in court (plead not guilty)

plead not guilty 🔊

/pliːd nɒt ˈɡɪlti/

phr.

To say in court that you are not guilty of a crime you are accused of.

Person pleading not guilty in courtroom with sunlight

deny guilt in court 🔊

➕

/dɪˈnaɪ ɡɪlt ɪn kɔːrt/

phr.

To formally state in a court of law that one is not responsible for the alleged crime, initiating a trial to prove innocence.

📁 Category：Laws & Regulations 🔖 Level：intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

Legal phrase: 'plead' from Latin 'placitum' (decree), plus 'not guilty' meaning innocent.

💡 Mnemonic

Remember 'Plead' sounds like 'Please' – you plead 'Please, not guilty!' to the judge.

📖 Example

During the trial, the lawyer advised her client to plead not guilty to the misunderstanding, as there was clear evidence of his innocence. 🔊 During the trial, the lawyer advised her client to formally declare in court that he was not guilty of the misunderstanding, as there was clear evidence of his innocence.

🔗 Collocations

plead not guilty to – to formally deny a specific charge

enter a plea of not guilty – to officially submit a denial of guilt in court

maintain a plea of not guilty – to continue asserting innocence throughout the trial

🔄 Synonyms

deny the charges (phr.) – to state that the accusations are false

profess innocence (phr.) – to declare openly that one is not guilty

maintain innocence (phr.) – to consistently assert that one has not committed the crime

🚫 Antonyms

plead guilty (phr.) – to formally admit responsibility for the crime

admit guilt (phr.) – to confess that one committed the offense

confess (v.) – to acknowledge one's fault or crime

🌱 Derivatives

plea (n.) – a formal statement in court of guilt or innocence

pleading (adj.) – related to making a formal legal statement

guilty (adj.) – responsible for a crime or wrongdoing

📖 Cultural Story

Originating from medieval English courts, 'plead not guilty' is the standard plea denying charges. It replaced Latin phrases like 'non culpabilis' after the 1731 Act requiring English in courts.