Past Tense of Plead | Examples & Meaning
The simple past tense of plead is “pleaded” ( ) or “pled” ( ). The past participle of the verb “plead” is also “pleaded” or “pled.”
The verb “plead” means “ask for something in an emotional way” or “claim something as an excuse.” To “plead guilty” to a crime means to “officially agree in a court that you have committed the crime.”
| Simple past tense | Past participle |
|---|---|
| Andre was ill but pleaded/pled with us to let him go to the birthday party. | He has pleaded/pled with me to let him go. |
| He pleaded/pled innocence, saying that he didn’t even know that I’d baked any cookies. | After he had pleaded/pled his innocence, I found cookie crumbs in his room. |
| The actor pleaded/pled not guilty to all charges in court last week. | How has he pleaded/pled to the charges? |
Pleaded or pled
The most frequently used simple past tense and past participle of the verb “plead” in US English is pleaded, including in legal contexts, but pled is also a correct, widely used alternative.
Plead ( ) is a rarely used alternative spelling of “pled.” It is best to avoid this spelling in formal contexts such as academic writing.
Frequently asked questions about the past tense of plead
- Is it plead or pleaded?
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The correct past tense of plead and past participle of “plead” in standard American English is “pleaded” or “pled” (e.g., He pleaded/pled guilty to the charges in court on Monday,” “He has pleaded/pled guilty”).
However, plead ( ) is a rarely used alternative spelling of “pled.” It is best to avoid this spelling in formal contexts.
QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker will help you to avoid mistakes with irregular verbs like “plead.”
