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Alford plea

(US, legal) A plea in criminal court in which the defendant does not admit guilt but concedes the government has sufficient evidence to convict.

ˈælfɚd ˈpliDocumented since 1970s1970sGen Xhistorical50 viewsLast reviewed Jun 29, 2026+ Add a definition
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Born ~1970 · no dated citations yet
1970BornToday, 2026
Boomer / counterculture eraSee decade cohort →

Definitions

#1·Apr 27, 2026

(US, legal) A plea in criminal court in which the defendant does not admit guilt but concedes the government has sufficient evidence to convict.

Origin: Originated in the US legal case before the Supreme Court of the United States, North Carolina v. Alford (1970). Origin information sourced from Wiktionary contributors (CC BY-SA 4.0).
For parents

Alford plea means: A plea in criminal court in which the defendant does not admit guilt but concedes the government has sufficient evidence to convict.. It is legal vocabulary; usage is usually formal, institutional, or news-related rather than casual teen talk. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.

For ESL learners

Alford plea means: A plea in criminal court in which the defendant does not admit guilt but concedes the government has sufficient evidence to convict.. Register: formal, legal English. Standard in its technical domain but rare in everyday talk; gloss with a plain synonym when writing for a general audience. A common learner mistake is using the word in a register it does not fit, or assuming a single global meaning; native speakers immediately notice when slang appears in formal contexts, so always check the surrounding register before producing it yourself.

Cluster: criminal
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For specific readers

Alford plea means: A plea in criminal court in which the defendant does not admit guilt but concedes the government has sufficient evidence to convict.. It is legal vocabulary; usage is usually formal, institutional, or news-related rather than casual teen talk. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.

Why is this section here?

Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.

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