Short answer. Section 1 of Rule 6 defines pleadings as 'the written statements of the respective claims and defenses of the parties submitted to the court for appropriate judgment.' In short, it's the formal written vehicle through which parties tell the court what they are claiming or defending against.
What the law says
Pleadings are the written statements of the respective claims and defenses of the parties submitted to the court for appropriate judgment.
Rule 6, Section 1 — Pleadings defined. Read the full provision →
The core definition
Section 1's definition has three key elements: pleadings are written, they state the parties' respective claims and defenses, and they are submitted to the court specifically for appropriate judgment. This is the foundational vocabulary for the entire law of civil procedure that follows in the subsequent rules — every subsequent provision about complaints, answers, counterclaims, and replies is describing a particular kind of pleading as defined here.
Why 'written' matters
The definition specifies written statements, which distinguishes pleadings from other ways parties communicate their positions to a court — oral arguments during a hearing, testimony given on the stand, or informal correspondence. A pleading is a formal document that becomes part of the case record and frames the issues the court is being asked to resolve, rather than something said in passing during proceedings.
Purpose: submitted for judgment
The definition ties pleadings to their ultimate purpose — they are submitted 'for appropriate judgment.' This distinguishes a pleading from a mere motion or notice, which typically asks the court to do something procedural rather than to adjudicate the substantive claims and defenses between the parties. Pleadings are what frame the actual controversy the court is meant to decide on the merits.
How this differs from a motion
Because pleadings are specifically submitted for appropriate judgment on the parties' claims and defenses, the definition draws a line between pleadings and motions, which the Rules define separately as applications for relief other than by a pleading. A request to extend a deadline or to compel discovery is a motion, not a pleading, precisely because it does not assert or answer a claim or defense that the court is being asked to adjudicate on the merits.
Which documents count as pleadings
The Rules go on to enumerate the specific documents that qualify as pleadings under this definition — the complaint, the answer, and, in limited circumstances, a reply and a third-party complaint among others. Each of these fits the Section 1 definition because each states a claim or a defense and is filed for the court's eventual judgment, even though the specific content and timing rules differ from one type of pleading to the next.