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Special pleading   /spˈɛʃəl plˈidɪŋ/   Listen
adjective
Special  adj.  
1.
Of or pertaining to a species; constituting a species or sort. "A special is called by the schools a "species"."
2.
Particular; peculiar; different from others; extraordinary; uncommon. "Our Savior is represented everywhere in Scripture as the special patron of the poor and the afficted." "To this special evil an improvement of style would apply a special redress."
3.
Appropriate; designed for a particular purpose, occasion, or person; as, a special act of Parliament or of Congress; a special sermon.
4.
Limited in range; confined to a definite field of action, investigation, or discussion; as, a special dictionary of commercial terms; a special branch of study.
5.
Chief in excellence. (Obs.) "The king hath drawn The special head of all the land together."
Special administration (Law), an administration limited to certain specified effects or acts, or one granted during a particular time or the existence of a special cause, as during a controversy respecting the probate of a will, or the right of administration, etc.
Special agency, an agency confined to some particular matter.
Special bail, Bail above, or Bail to the action (Law), sureties who undertake that, if the defendant is convicted, he shall satisfy the plaintiff, or surrender himself into custody.
Special constable. See under Constable.
Special damage (Law), a damage resulting from the act complained of, as a natural, but not the necessary, consequence of it.
Special demurrer (Law), a demurrer for some defect of form in the opposite party pleading, in which the cause of demurrer is particularly stated.
Special deposit, a deposit made of a specific thing to be kept distinct from others.
Special homology. (Biol.) See under Homology.
Special injuction (Law), an injuction granted on special grounds, arising of the circumstances of the case.
Special issue (Law), an issue produced upon a special plea.
Special jury (Law), a jury consisting of persons of some particular calling, station, or qualification, which is called upon motion of either party when the cause is supposed to require it; a struck jury.
Special orders (Mil.), orders which do not concern, and are not published to, the whole command, such as those relating to the movement of a particular corps, a detail, a temporary camp, etc.
Special partner, a limited partner; a partner with a limited or restricted responsibility; unknown at common law.
Special partnership, a limited or particular partnership; a term sometimes applied to a partnership in a particular business, operation, or adventure.
Special plea in bar (Law), a plea setting forth particular and new matter, distinguished from the general issue.
Special pleader (Law), originally, a counsel who devoted himself to drawing special counts and pleas; in a wider sense, a lawyer who draws pleadings.
Special pleading (Law), the allegation of special or new matter, as distingiushed from a direct denial of matter previously alleged on the side. The popular denomination of the whole science of pleading. The phrase is sometimes popularly applied to the specious, but unsound, argumentation of one whose aim is victory, and not truth.
Special property (Law), a qualified or limited ownership possession, as in wild animals, things found or bailed.
Special session, an extraordinary session; a session at an unusual time or for an unusual purpose; as, a special session of Congress or of a legislature.
Special statute, or Special law, an act of the legislature which has reference to a particular person, place, or interest; a private law; in distinction from a general law or public law.
Special verdict (Law), a special finding of the facts of the case, leaving to the court the application of the law to them.
Synonyms: Peculiar; appropriate; specific; dictinctive; particular; exceptional; singular. See Peculiar.






Collaborative International Dictionary of English 0.48








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"Special pleading" Quotes from Famous Books



... her—it might be because of her special pleading—that they had not gone further? Or were they still fighting through the heads, waiting until they got well out to sea before they disposed of him, so there would be no chance of his telltale body washing up along the coast for recognition and search for ...
— A Man to His Mate • J. Allan Dunn

... the course of buying ['ships?'—Arber interpolates] as in former letters specified." If he had not then "ingaged" (as Robinson intimates), as an Adventurer, he surely did later, contrary to the pastor's prediction, and the above may have been a bit of special pleading. Robinson naturally wished to keep their, affairs, so far as possible, in known and supposedly friendly hands, and had possibly some assurances that, as a merchant, Pickering would be willing to invest in a ship for which he ...
— The Mayflower and Her Log, Complete • Azel Ames

... le dogme; mais cela est parfaitement compatible avec l'inspiration, attendu qu'un livre peut-être inspiré sans être dogmatique, et que s'il n'est pas dogmatique par son contenu il ne saurait regler le dogme." But this contention savours somewhat of clever special pleading in order to evade the force of opposing evidence. Loisy, however, for a Roman Catholic, is a wonderfully frank and fair ...
— The Three Additions to Daniel, A Study • William Heaford Daubney

... the special pleading of a criminal—is it not, colonel? If I had really murdered the poor man, would not this be my method of explaining every thing? You see, I do not deny what several witnesses could prove; the fact that I quarreled with Conway, came to high words, uttered insults, exhibited anger, followed ...
— Mohun, or, The Last Days of Lee • John Esten Cooke

... Mutineers had Saved in hope to procure his Master to worke their Pardon." Purchas wrote that "this report of Prickett may happely bee suspected by some as not so friendly to Hudson." Being essentially a bit of special pleading, intended to save his own neck and the necks of his companions, it has rested always under the suspicion that Purchas cast upon it. Nor is it relieved from suspicion by the fact that it is in accord with his sworn testimony, and with the sworn testimony of his fellows, before the High ...
— Henry Hudson - A Brief Statement Of His Aims And His Achievements • Thomas A. Janvier


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