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

McLaughlin’s brag that the government had snagged a well-known advocate raised “unique due process concerns,” Wang wrote, and contributed to her conclusion that Vizguerra-Ramirez’s detention violated the Fifth Amendment.

From Slate • Feb. 18, 2026

During the closed-door deposition, Maxwell refused to answer questions and pleaded the Fifth Amendment, invoking her right to remain silent, Oversight Committee chairman James Comer said.

From BBC • Feb. 10, 2026

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

Like Beller, the former accountant, she declined to turn over records or answer questions in a deposition in the New York lawsuit against Indyke and Kahn, citing her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.

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