phrase

I plead the Fifth

eye pleed thuh FIFTH

I plead the Fifth (phrase) means a statement made by a witness in the United States refusing to answer a question because the answer might help prove them guilty of a crime. Example: “Asked who had signed the transfer, the executive said he would plead the Fifth.”

phrase

A statement made by a witness in the United States refusing to answer a question because the answer might help prove them guilty of a crime.

"Asked who had signed the transfer, the executive said he would plead the Fifth."

"She pleaded the Fifth eleven times during the hearing."

informal, humorous A joking way of refusing to answer an awkward or embarrassing question.

"Who finished the cake? I plead the Fifth."

How to Use I plead the Fifth

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishRefusing to answer a question because the answer could get you into trouble.

When to use it

Legal in origin, but far more often heard as a light-hearted refusal in everyday conversation.

Memory tip

Take the Fifth and plead the Fifth mean exactly the same thing; the F in Fifth is usually capitalised because it names the amendment.

Trace the full origin ↓

Easily confused with

no comment take the Fifth fifth amendment rights

Common pairings

plead the Fifth take the Fifth invoke the Fifth

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Fill the Gap

Can you complete this real example?

Who finished the cake? _____.

Etymology

From the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which protects a person from being forced to give evidence against themselves.

Origin: English

Synonyms

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take the Fifth invoke the Fifth Amendment decline to answer

Frequently Asked Questions

What does pleading the Fifth actually mean?

It means using the Fifth Amendment right not to give evidence that could incriminate you. The witness is not answering the question at all, rather than denying anything.

Does pleading the Fifth mean you are guilty?

No. In a criminal trial the jury may not treat silence as evidence of guilt, and innocent people invoke it to avoid being trapped by misleading questions. In civil cases the rules are looser and a court may draw an adverse inference.

Can you plead the Fifth outside the United States?

The phrase itself is purely American, but most legal systems have some equivalent protection against self-incrimination. In England and Wales, for instance, a court may in some circumstances draw conclusions from a defendant's silence.