plead the Fifth

See also: plead the fifth

English

Verb

plead the Fifth (third-person singular simple present pleads the Fifth, present participle pleading the Fifth, simple past pled the Fifth or pleaded the Fifth, past participle pled the Fifth)

1. (law, US) To invoke the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which protects witnesses from being forced to incriminate themselves.
2. (by extension, informal, humorous) To refuse to answer a question, or refuse to speak, especially when the response would reflect badly on the speaker.

   Yo ain't no city in the world like this // An' if you ask how I know, I gots ta plead the fifth (1998, Miami (Will Smith song))

Synonyms

• take the fifth

References

• The Free Dictionary