“demurrer”为诉求不充分抗辩;法律抗辩。指诉讼一方当事人承认对方主张的事实是真实的，但认为它在法律上却不足以支持其救济请求，或认为其诉状表面上仍存在某些缺陷，使得本方在法律上无义务继续推进诉讼的一种抗辩。其实质是一种基于法律理由所作的抗辩。An allegation by defendant, which, in admitting the allegations of plaintiff’s complaint to be true, shows that as those matters of facts are therein set forth they are insufficient for plaintiff to proceed upon or to oblige defendant to answer. In effect, demurrer is a claim that, even if the facts as stated in plaintiff’s pleading are taken to be true, yet their legal consequences are not such as to put the demurring party to the necessity of answering the or proceeding further with the cause. Demurrer is also called “motion to dismiss for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted”.

现美国联邦民事诉讼及刑事诉讼中均已不再使用这种抗辩形式，但在某些州仍有保留。

示例：

Bill demurrer originates from civil demurrer, but it has many specialties. 

票据抗辩源于民法抗辩，但有许多特殊之处。

而“plea”则为事实抗辩，指被告在答辩（answer）中用相反事实针对并回应原告的事实主张。由于被告答辩状中的事实抗辩部分被称为plea，因此被告的答辩状可以说主要由两个部分组成：事实抗辩部分（plea）和积极抗辩部分（affirmative defense指被告并不否认原告所主张之事实的真实性，而是提出其他的理由来说明为什么自己不应承担责任的答辩。因此，它并不反驳原告诉求之真实性，而只是否认原告在法律上有起诉的权利。）。It is a pleading on the part of defendant. In the strictest sense, it is an answer made by defendant in an action at law （普通法诉讼）to plaintiff’s allegation, and in which defendant set up matter of fact as defense, thus distinguished a plea from a demurrer, which interposed objections on grounds of law.

示例：

The judge questioned him about his guilty plea.

法官就他的认罪答辩对他提出质疑。

We will enter a plea of not guilty.

我们将进行无罪抗辩。