Fifth Amendment

American  

[fifth uh-mend-muhnt, fith] / ˈfɪfθ əˈmɛnd mənt, ˈfɪθ /

noun

1. an amendment to the U.S. Constitution, ratified in 1791 as part of the Bill of Rights, providing chiefly that people cannot be required to testify against themselves in a criminal case and that no person be subjected to a second trial for an offense for which they have been duly tried previously.

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Fifth Amendment British  

noun

1. an amendment to the US Constitution stating that no person may be compelled to testify against himself and that no person may be tried for a second time on a charge for which he has already been acquitted

2. to refuse to answer a question on the grounds that it might incriminate oneself

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Fifth Amendment Cultural  

1. One of the ten amendments to the United States Constitution that make up the Bill of Rights. The Fifth Amendment imposes restrictions on the government's prosecution of persons accused of crimes. It prohibits self-incrimination and double jeopardy and mandates due process of law.

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To “take the Fifth” is to refuse to testify because the testimony could lead to self-incrimination.

Example Sentences

Maxwell invoked her Fifth Amendment rights and vowed to speak only if granted clemency, meaning either a commuted sentence or a presidential pardon.

From Salon • Feb. 10, 2026

Comer, previewing the deposition, said, "her lawyers have been saying she is going to plead the Fifth," referring to the US Fifth Amendment right to decline to speak to authorities.

From BBC • Jan. 21, 2026

“I will plead the Fifth Amendment on that. Although I will say I did hold up a New York Times.”

From Slate • Dec. 23, 2025

He invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination in response to a subpoena for documents and questions in a deposition in the New York lawsuit against Indyke and Kahn filed last year.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 23, 2025

The Fifth Amendment protects the accused from prosecution in capital cases or cases involving infamous crime except upon indictment by a grand jury.

From Government in the United States National, State and Local by Garner, James Wilford