plea — an urgent emotional request or appeal
Part of speech: NOUN
Definition: an urgent emotional request or appeal
Pronunciation (IPA): /pliː/
Example Sentences
- His plea for a pizza at 3 AM fell on deaf ears - even delivery apps had given up on him.
- The CEO's plea to employees to 'work as a family' was met with requests for family-sized salaries.
- The charity's plea for donations helped raise funds for the homeless shelter.
plea
NOUN[/pliː/]
an urgent emotional request or appeal
The mother made a desperate plea to the judge to spare her son.
A heartfelt plea for the key to be free!
Got the picture? Now let's practice.
🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
Plea derives from Middle French 'plait', which evolved from Latin 'placere' meaning 'to please' or 'to satisfy'. Over time, the semantic field shifted from 'pleasing' to 'requesting' or 'appealing', eventually acquiring its modern sense of an earnest or urgent request, particularly in legal contexts.
Breakdown
Latin 'placere' (to please) → Middle French 'plait' (petition, plea) → English 'plea'. The word underwent semantic narrowing from a general sense of pleasing to a specific meaning of formal supplication or legal appeal.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“His plea for a pizza at 3 AM fell on deaf ears - even delivery apps had given up on him.”
“The CEO's plea to employees to 'work as a family' was met with requests for family-sized salaries.”
“The charity's plea for donations helped raise funds for the homeless shelter.”
“She made a heartfelt plea to the judge for leniency.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
Related
Want to master 19,000+ words?
Sign up free for flashcards & quizzes.