allege

American  

[uh-lej] / əˈlɛdʒ /

verb (used with object)

alleged, alleging

1. to assert without proof.

2. to declare with positiveness; affirm; assert.

   to allege a fact.

   Synonyms:

   aver, asseverate, state

   Antonyms:

   deny

3. to declare before a court or elsewhere, as if under oath.

   Synonyms:

   attest

4. to plead in support of; offer as a reason or excuse.

5. Archaic. to cite or quote in confirmation.

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allege British  

/ əˈlɛdʒ /

verb

1. to declare in or as if in a court of law; state without or before proof

   he alleged malpractice

2. to put forward (an argument or plea) for or against an accusation, claim, etc

3. archaic to cite or quote, as to confirm

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Usage

What does allege mean? To allege is to make an accusation or claim, especially about a crime or wrongdoing. The word often implies that the thing claimed has not been confirmed or proven or that the claim has been made without proof or before proof is available. Forms of allege include the adjective alleged, the adverb allegedly, and the noun allegation (meaning an accusation or claim). Allege is most commonly used in a legal context and in journalism in reports about crime or other wrongdoing before it has been proven or before someone has been convicted. Using the word alleged allows journalists to talk about allegations without seeming to presume guilt (and getting sued for libel). Example: Investigators are alleging that Mr. Jones stole from the company over a period of 15 years.

Related Words

See maintain.

Other Word Forms

• allegeable adjective
• alleger noun
• misallege verb (used with object)
• preallege verb (used with object)
• reallege verb (used with object)

Etymology

Origin of allege

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English alleg(g)en, probably from Old French aleguer, from Medieval Latin, Latin allēgāre “to adduce in support of a plea” ( allegation ), conflated with Anglo-French, Old French aleg(i)er, “to justify, free,” literally, “to lighten,” from Late Latin alleviāre “to lighten, relieve” ( alleviate ); homonymous Middle English verb alleg(g)en, with literal sense of Old French aleg(i)er, replaced by allay in 16th century

Explanation

If you accuse someone of committing a crime but the proof of the wrongdoing isn't yet found, use the verb allege. You might allege that your sister broke a vase, just because no one else was home when you heard the crash. If you ever watch news programs, you often hear the verb allege. A reporter might say that detectives allege that a certain person, who is now being held without bail, set a fire. This can be confusing: If the person is in jail, then he or she must have set that fire, right? In reality, the person is a suspect, alleged with starting a fire, and awaiting trial. In the United States, people are assumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Example Sentences

Details in US court documents allege that Duggan did not ask for permission from the US government to provide military training to Chinese forces.

From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026

Among other complaints, detainees there allege systemic medical neglect and inadequate food and water.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 14, 2026

State prosecutors allege the defendants purchased on the dark web the personal identifying information of non-California residents and, without their knowledge, enrolled them in Medi-Cal through Covered California.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026

But some reports allege that DeepSeek skirted the ban to train V4 using thousands of Nvidia's top-end Blackwell chips, dismantled in third countries and smuggled to China.

From Barron's • Apr. 9, 2026

I did not like to walk at this hour alone with Mr. Rochester in the shadowy orchard; but I could not find a reason to allege for leaving him.

From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë

Related Words

• charge
• cite
• declare
• depose
• maintain
• recount
• testify