take the fifth amendment

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Definition
  1. Verb (idiomatic, US legal context):
    • To formally refuse to answer a question, especially in a court of law or a government hearing, by invoking the protection against self-incrimination provided by the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution.
Usage
  • This phrase is used specifically in legal and formal investigative settings in the United States. It describes the action of a witness who chooses not to testify or answer a question to avoid providing evidence that could be used against them in a criminal case.
  • It is often used in its shortened, more common form: "to take the Fifth."
Examples
  • Verb:
    • When asked about his involvement, the suspect decided to take the Fifth Amendment.
    • The witness took the Fifth Amendment, so the prosecutor could not force her to answer.
Advanced Usage
  • "To plead the Fifth": This is a more casual and common synonym for "take the Fifth Amendment." Both mean the same thing.
    • I'm not answering that; I plead the Fifth.
Variants and Related Words
  • Take the Fifth (verb phrase): The shortened, more frequently used form of "take the Fifth Amendment."
    • He took the Fifth on every question the committee asked.
Synonyms
  • Invoke the Fifth Amendment: A more formal equivalent.
  • Plead the Fifth: A common, slightly less formal synonym.
  • Claim the privilege against self-incrimination: The formal legal description of the action.
Related Idioms
  • "Taking the Fifth" (gerund/noun phrase): The act of invoking this right.
    • His repeated taking of the Fifth frustrated the investigators.
Verb
  1. refuse to testify by invoking the Fifth Amendment, which states that nobody may be forced to testify as a witness against himself or herself

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