A Latin legal term meaning to plead guilty or accept a conviction without admitting guilt, used in criminal courts.
From Latin contendere, meaning 'to contest' or 'to strive,' from com- (together) + tendere (to stretch). In legal contexts, it evolved to describe a specific type of plea.
When someone says 'nolo contendere' in court, they're essentially saying 'I don't contest this' in Latin—it's a legal loophole that lets you accept punishment without admitting you did the crime, which is why it's sometimes called a 'best of both worlds' plea.
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