allege

[uh-lej]

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.

allege

/ 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

Other Word Forms

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of allege¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of allege¹

C14 aleggen, ultimately from Latin allēgāre to dispatch on a mission, from lēx law

Synonym Study

See maintain.

Example Sentences

Bonta’s office said a second suit, announced Thursday, alleges the administration violated federal laws in the program’s cancellation, including the Administrative Procedure Act and the U.S.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The complaint alleged that Shangri-La took out loans on six of the seven properties without obtaining approval from the state or recording the required affordability restrictions on the properties.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Western Alliance said Thursday that it has enough collateral and guarantees to avoid losses from a borrower that is being sued for alleged fraud, which includes possible failure to provide first‑position collateral.

Read more on MarketWatch

The alleged scam, and others like it, led to extensive soul-searching by streaming services on how to better protect artists from people abusing AI to siphon off royalty payments.

Read more on MarketWatch

Parliament has been a target, with security services alleging a hacking operation against lawmakers’ emails back in 2021.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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

When To Use

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.