alleged

[uh-lejd, uh-lej-id]

adjective

1. declared or stated to be as described; asserted.

   The alleged murderer could not be located for questioning.

2. doubtful; suspect; supposed.

   The alleged cure-all produced no results when it was tested by reputable doctors.

alleged

/ əˈlɛdʒd /

adjective

1. stated or described to be such; presumed

   the alleged murderer

2. dubious

   an alleged miracle

Other Word Forms

• unalleged adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of alleged¹

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English; allege + -ed ²

Example Sentences

Santa Monica, South Pasadena and Newport Beach, but there is no record of him being charged for those alleged crimes.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Bell alleged that the retaliation against her has stretched on for months.

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Petro did not provide further details about the alleged identities of those on board.

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In his role with Warwickshire Police's professional standards team, he then investigated another officer who it was alleged had formed an inappropriate relationship with her.

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He documented MTA police in New York placing him in handcuffs for alleged disorderly conduct.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• purported 
• so-called 
• stated 
• supposed 

When To Use

What does alleged mean?

Alleged is an adjective that’s used to describe things that have been claimed. It’s most often used to describe an action or situation, especially a wrongdoing or crime, that someone claims happened but that has not been confirmed or proven.Alleged can also be used as the past tense of the verb allege, meaning to claim without proof or before proof is available. Such an accusation is called an allegation. The adverb form of alleged is allegedly.As an adjective, alleged can be correctly pronounced either uh-LEJD or uh-LEJ-id. When it’s used as a verb, it’s always pronounced uh-LEJD.Alleged 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).Sometimes, alleged is used to mean doubtful or supposed in a way that’s intended to indicate skepticism about something, as in The alleged genius can’t even run a small company.   Example: The alleged crime took place when my client was half a state away.