Meaning

verb appeal or request earnestly

verb offer as an excuse or plea

verb enter a plea, as in courts of law

originFrom Middle English pleden, plaiden, from Old French plaider (“to plead, offer a plea”), from plait, from Medieval Latin placitum (“a decree, sentence, suit, plea, etc.", in Classical Latin, "an opinion, determination, prescription, order; literally, that which is pleasing, pleasure”), neuter of placitus, past participle of placeō (“to please”). Cognate with Spanish pleitear (“to litigate, take…

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0