pleading

plead·ing  (pldng)

n.

1. A plea; an entreaty.

2. Law Advocacy of causes in court.

3. Law

a. A formal statement, generally written, propounding the cause of action or the defense in a case.

b. pleadings The consecutive statements, allegations, and counterallegations made by plaintiff and defendant, or prosecutor and accused, in a legal proceeding.

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	pleading - (law) a statement in legal and logical form stating something on behalf of a party to a legal proceeding bill of Particulars - the particular events to be dealt with in a criminal trial; advises the defendant and the court of the facts the defendant will be required to meet affirmative pleading - any defensive pleading that affirms facts rather than merely denying the facts alleged by the plaintiff alternative pleading, pleading in the alternative - a pleading that alleges facts so separate that it is difficult to determine which facts the person intends to rely on answer - the principal pleading by the defendant in response to plaintiff's complaint; in criminal law it consists of the defendant's plea of `guilty' or `not guilty' (or nolo contendere); in civil law it must contain denials of all allegations in the plaintiff's complaint that the defendant hopes to controvert and it can contain affirmative defenses or counterclaims charge, complaint - (criminal law) a pleading describing some wrong or offense; "he was arrested on a charge of larceny" complaint - (civil law) the first pleading of the plaintiff setting out the facts on which the claim for relief is based defective pleading - any pleading that fails to conform in form or substance to minimum standards of accuracy or sufficiency demurrer - (law) any pleading that attacks the legal sufficiency of the opponent's pleadings rebuttal, rebutter - (law) a pleading by the defendant in reply to a plaintiff's surrejoinder replication - (law) a pleading made by a plaintiff in reply to the defendant's plea or answer rejoinder - (law) a pleading made by a defendant in response to the plaintiff's replication special pleading - (law) a pleading that alleges new facts in avoidance of the opposing allegations surrebuttal, surrebutter - (law) a pleading by the plaintiff in reply to the defendant's rebutter surrejoinder - (law) a pleading by the plaintiff in reply to the defendant's rejoinder statement - a message that is stated or declared; a communication (oral or written) setting forth particulars or facts etc; "according to his statement he was in London on that day" law, jurisprudence - the collection of rules imposed by authority; "civilization presupposes respect for the law"; "the great problem for jurisprudence to allow freedom while enforcing order"
Adj.	1.	pleading - begging beseeching, imploring