Plead guilty to Meaning in English

expression

US

ˈpɫid/ /ˈɡɪɫti/ /ˈtu/, /tə/, /tɪ

PLEED GIL-tee TOO, tuh, ti

UK

plˈiːd/ /ɡˈɪlti/ /tˈuː

peed GIL-tee TOO

Definition

To officially state in a court that you accept responsibility for a crime or offense you are accused of.

Usage & Nuances

This is a formal legal term, mostly used in legal, court, or police contexts. Always followed by the specific charge: 'plead guilty to theft.' Do not confuse with simply 'admit' (less formal), and use 'plead guilty' only for legal confessions in a court setting.

• Spanish: declararse culpable de
• Portuguese (BR): declarar-se culpado de
• Portuguese (PT): declarar-se culpado de
• Chinese (Simplified): 对...认罪
• Chinese (Traditional): 對...認罪
• Hindi: के लिए दोषी ठहराना स्वीकार करना
• Arabic: الاعتراف بالذنب في
• Bengali: অপরাধ স্বীকার করা
• Russian: признать себя виновным в
• Japanese: 〜の罪を認める
• Vietnamese: nhận tội với
• Korean: ~에 대해 유죄를 인정하다
• Turkish: suçu kabul etmek
• Urdu: جرم قبول کرنا
• Indonesian: mengaku bersalah atas

Example Sentences

He decided to plead guilty to the charge of theft.

basic

If you plead guilty to the crime, you might get a lighter sentence.

basic

She refused to plead guilty to something she did not do.

basic

Sometimes people plead guilty to avoid a long trial.

natural

You don't have to plead guilty to something just because the police say you did it.

natural

The suspect chose to plead guilty to two of the lesser charges.

natural