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plea deal

an agreement to plead guilty for a lighter sentence

In From the Front Page

In more detail

1. (noun) an agreement in a court of law in which a person accused of a crime admits to being guilty of a lesser crime in order to avoid a trial for the more serious crime they were accused of

Examples

• The defendant accepted a plea deal and pleaded guilty to assault instead of facing trial for attempted murder.

How to use plea deal

A plea deal is a formal agreement in criminal law where the defendant agrees to plead guilty to a lesser charge in exchange for a reduced sentence or dismissal of more serious charges. It is commonly used in legal and news contexts and reflects the practical reality of the justice system where most criminal cases are resolved this way rather than through trial. The term is neutral and appears in both formal legal settings and everyday news reporting.

Common phrases

• reach a plea deal
• accept a plea deal
• negotiate a plea deal
• strike a plea deal
• plea deal falls through

Synonyms

plea agreement · guilty plea arrangement · plea bargain

Word family

plea · deal

A common mistake

Learners sometimes use 'plea deal' to refer to any guilty plea or settlement, when it specifically involves pleading guilty to a lesser charge to avoid prosecution for a more serious one.

Nearby in From the Front Page

probe, allegation, indict, oversight, transparency, accountability

Keep going

How to remember the words you read · Spaced repetition, explained