Plea vs Pray - What's the difference?
plea | pray |
An appeal, petition, urgent prayer or entreaty.
An excuse; an apology.
That which is alleged or pleaded, in defense or in justification.
(legal) That which is alleged by a party in support of his cause.
(legal) An allegation of fact in a cause, as distinguished from a demurrer.
(legal) The defendant’s answer to the plaintiff’s declaration and demand.
(legal) A cause in court; a lawsuit; as, the Court of Common Pleas. See under Common.
To petition or solicit help from a supernatural or higher being.
To humbly beg a person for aid or their time.
(religion) to communicate with God for any reason.
(obsolete) To ask earnestly for; to seek to obtain by supplication; to entreat for.
* Shakespeare
please; used to make a polite request.
* 1816 , (Jane Austen), , Volume 1 Chapter 8
* Charles Dickens, , 1841:
* Frederick Marryat, , 1845:
* 1892 , (Arthur Conan Doyle),
* 2013 , Martina Hyde, Is the pope Catholic?'' (in ''The Guardian , 20 September 2013)[http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/sep/20/is-pope-catholic-atheists-gay-people-abortion]
As verbs the difference between plea and pray
is that plea is to fold, fold up, double while pray is to petition or solicit help from a supernatural or higher being.As an adverb pray is
please; used to make a polite request.plea
English
Noun
(en noun)- a plea for mercy
- 1667', ''Necessity, the tyrant’s '''plea .'' --, ''Paradise Lost IV.393
- (rfdate) No plea must serve; ‘t is cruelty to spare. -- .
- (rfdate) The Supreme Judicial Court shall have cognizance of pleas real, personal, and mixed. --Laws of Massachusetts.
Usage notes
In 19th century U.K. law, that which the plaintiff alleges in his declaration is answered and repelled or justified by the defendant’s plea. In chancery practice, a plea is a special answer showing or relying upon one or more things as a cause why the suit should be either dismissed, delayed, or barred. In criminal practice, the plea is the defendant’s formal answer to the indictment or information presented against him/her.External links
* * *Anagrams
*pray
English
Verb
(en verb)- Muslims pray in the direction of Mecca.
- I know not how to pray your patience.
Derived terms
* prayer * pray in aidAdverb
(-)- pray silence for…
- "Pray , Mr. Knightley," said Emma, who had been smiling to herself through a great part of this speech, "how do you know that Mr. Martin did not speak yesterday?"
- Pray''' don’t ask me why, '''pray''' don’t be sorry, '''pray don’t be vexed with me!
- Well, Major, pray tell us your adventures, for you have frightened us dreadfully.
- Thank you. I am sorry to have interrupted you. Pray continue your most interesting statement.
- He is a South American, so perhaps revolutionary spirit courses through Francis's veins. But what, pray , does the Catholic church want with doubt?
