Synonyms for plea
Most common
Synonyms by meaning
Noun
1. Apology
apology, defense US, defence UK, excuse, vindication, justification, pretext
2. Entreaty
Other
Definitions
- n. 1
An appeal, petition, urgent prayer or entreaty.
- n. 2
An excuse; an apology.
Related words
- Word family
- plead pleasant please pleasurable pleasure
- Phrases
- plea bargain cop a plea plea bargaining plea deal plea in abatement
Forms
- Plural
- pleas → apologies, defenses, excuses, vindications…
Choose the right word
Plea ranges in sense from a prayer for favor or pardon to an attempt at full vindication.
J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)
Example sentences
- apology Yanni's apology devolved into a physical argument.
- vindication His enemy's failure in business was the ultimate vindication.
- prayer Sami set his alarm to wake up for the dawn prayer.
- entreaty She looked at me with a passionate expression of entreaty.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| plea | falling | |
| apology | rising | |
| vindication | steady | |
| prayer | rising | |
| entreaty | rising | |
| plaidoyer | steady |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 6 letters
- excuse2, prayer1
- 7 letters
- defense2, defence2, apology4, pretext2
- 8 letters
- entreaty3
- 9 letters
- plaidoyer
- 11 letters
- vindication4
- 12 letters
- supplication
- 13 letters
- justification5
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (excuse2 = 2 syllables).