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Glite Dictionary
pleading in the alternative

pleading in the alternative

1 9.9
A court statement that gives different facts or claims to use later
  • noun
  • Formal
translation icon : plegamiento alternativo
  • During the trial, he used a pleading in the alternative strategy to address both possible outcomes of the case.

Examples

  • The lawyer submitted a pleading in the alternative, presenting two different claims for the court to consider.

  • Next, perhaps pleading in the alternative in the original motion, i.e., seeking termination or at the very least modification in the initial application.

    Blog text (4)

  • By filing a pleading in the alternative, she aimed to strengthen her position by offering multiple arguments.

Synonyms

alternative pleading
vspleading in the alternative
  • Formal
9.2

A court paper that gives different, sometimes opposite, versions of facts so a lawyer can use any that fit

is the same tactic but named using different terminology

Surface Forms

pleading in the alternative singular
pleadings in the alternative plural

Morphology

pleading + in + the + alternative

The phrase literally combines 'pleading' (a legal filing) with 'in the alternative' (meaning 'alternatively' or 'as another option'), so a learner who knows those words can infer it refers to a pleading that offers alternative claims. However, the expression is specialized legal register and the precise practice of presenting multiple distinct sets of facts or claims is a technical usage that a B1 learner without legal exposure may not fully grasp, making the transparency partial.

Etymology

The legal term pleading in the alternative is like a lawyer telling two different stories to a judge. The lawyer gives one pleading and then another in the alternative, saying 'this happened' or 'if not, that happened', so one of the options will match the facts, which is why it means 'presenting different arguments so one will work'.