Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
defective pleading

defective pleading

9.9
A legal document filed in court that has errors or missing information
  • noun
  • /dɪˈfɛktɪv ˈpliːdɪŋ/
  • Jargon
translation icon : escrito defectuoso
  • The plaintiff was given an opportunity to amend the defective pleading before the court proceeded further.

Examples

  • The judge dismissed the case due to a defective pleading filed by the defendant's lawyer.

  • If a defective pleading is not corrected promptly, it may result in adverse consequences for the party at fault.

  • The judge dismissed the case due to a defective pleading.

  • Can you explain what a defective pleading is?

  • The judge dismissed the case due to a defective pleading filed by the defendant's lawyer.

  • If a defective pleading is not corrected promptly, it may result in adverse consequences for the party at fault.

  • The plaintiff was given an opportunity to amend the defective pleading before the court proceeded further.

How Adequate

pleading
  • Formal
18 7.7
defective pleading
  • Jargon
9.9

Surface Forms

defective pleading singular
defective pleadings plural

Morphology

defective + pleading

The phrase is a straightforward adjective+noun combination where 'defective' (faulty/insufficient) simply modifies 'pleading' (a formal court document); the overall meaning is directly derivable from the constituents and standard English compositional rules. This construction is cross-linguistically common in legal and non-legal contexts, so a B1 learner who knows both words would readily infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Defective pleading names a problem with a court paper: pleading is the written claim, and defective means it has a fault or a 'hole' so it does not give the needed facts. That's why a defective pleading is 'not good enough' and can be fixed or rejected by the court.