plead the fifth
Refuse to testify
To plead the fifth is to invoke the Fifth Amendment of the U.S.
Constitution, which protects against self-incrimination in legal proceedings.
Informally, it means refusing to answer a question because the truth would be embarrassing or incriminating: I'll plead the fifth on how many donuts I ate.
The phrase implies you have something to hide.
- Bill of RightsInitial constitutional amendments guaranteeing freedoms
- civil libertiesRights limiting government power
- self-incriminationImplicating yourself criminally
- constitutional lawLegal principles from founding documents
- Miranda rightsSuspect's custodial advisement
remain silent · right to counsel · legal protection · take the stand · sworn testimony · subpoena · perjury · deposition · grand jury · congressional hearing · cross-examination · hostile witness · courtroom testimony · privacy rights · invoke · due process · legal history · legal ethics
- Avoiding Answersdodge, evade, deflect, sidestep, evasive
- secrecysecrecy, secret, secrets, confidential, classified
plead the fifthconfess
Acknowledge wrongdoing openly
spill the beans · tell all · testify · come clean · disclose
plead the fifthconfess
Acknowledge wrongdoing openly
self-incriminate · own up · take responsibility · fess up · take the fall
plead the fifthturn state's evidence
Testify against former accomplices
give testimony · inform · flip
plead, pleads, pleaded, pled, pleading, pleader, plea, pleas, fifth