(criminal law) a negotiation in which the defendant agrees to enter a plea of guilty to a lesser charge and the prosecutor agrees to drop a more serious charge - his admission was part of a plea bargain with the prosecutor - plea bargaining helps to stop the courts becoming congested • Syn: plea bargaining • Derivationally related forms: plea-bargain (for: plea bargaining), plea-bargain • Topics: criminal law, law, jurisprudence • Hypernyms: bargaining