# plead the Fifth

> English word · Verb

## Definitions
1. To invoke the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which protects witnesses from being forced to incriminate themselves.
2. To refuse to answer a question, or refuse to speak especially when the response would be embarrassing or uncomfortable.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/plead-the-fifth