allegation

American  

[al-i-gay-shuhn] / ˌæl ɪˈgeɪ ʃən /

noun

• allegations
  plural

1. the act of alleging; affirmation.

   Synonyms:

   contention, claim, accusation, charge

2. an assertion made with little or no proof.

   Synonyms:

   contention, claim, accusation, charge

3. an assertion made by a party in a legal proceeding, which the party then undertakes to prove.

4. a statement offered as a plea, excuse, or justification.

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allegation British  

/ ˌælɪˈɡeɪʃən /

noun

1. the act of alleging

2. an unproved statement or assertion, esp one in an accusation

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Usage

What does allegation mean? An allegation is an accusation or claim that something wrong has been done, especially a crime. 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. Allegation is the noun form of the verb allege, meaning to claim without proof or before proof is available. Related forms include the adjective alleged and the adverb allegedly. The word allegation is most commonly used in a legal context, especially in journalism in reports about a person who has been accused of a crime or other wrongdoing but who has not been convicted. Using the word allegation allows journalists to talk about accusations without seeming to presume guilt (and getting sued for libel). Example: We will prove that the allegations against my client are absolutely baseless.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• misallegation
  noun
• nonallegation
  noun
• preallegation
  noun
• reallegation
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• allegations
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of allegation

1375–1425; late Middle English < Latin allēgātiōn- (stem of allēgātiō ), equivalent to allēgāt ( us ), past participle of allēgāre to adduce in support of a plea ( al- al- + -lēgāre, derivative of lēx law; see legal) + -iōn- -ion

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Explanation

An allegation is an accusation, which is sometimes true and sometimes not. If you say your sister stole a candy bar but you don't have any proof that she did it, you have made an allegation. In the legal system, an allegation is a formal claim against someone. It sparks an investigation that leads to someone being proven innocent or found guilty. In everyday use, however, an allegation is what someone thinks, whether or not there is proof. For example, if someone makes an allegation that you're a terrible driver, they might base it on their own experience, but they won't be able to prove it.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

allegation allegations

Often, those efforts have been prompted by an allegation, such as the one made by Jane Doe, that garnered national headlines.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

Indeed, without mentioning names, Prime Minister Rama echoed the allegation on Friday.

From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026

Apple said in response that it had found no evidence supporting the new allegation.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026

Jeremy Lessen, one of Lavie’s criminal attorneys, has declined to comment on the drugging allegation.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2026

The allegation, which was untrue, irritated the detectives into expounding very convincing denials.

From "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote

Agasi, speaking through his lawyer, denied the allegations against him and said he had nothing to do with corruption.

From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026

Pernik has said the allegations were “wholly out of character” and that his client’s flight to Saudi Arabia was prebooked, and urged people not make assumption’s about Alfozan due to his Saudi nationality.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026

Sabatini denied the allegations and sued Knouse in 2021, saying they had a consensual relationship and that the accusations came after he left Knouse for another woman.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 17, 2026

In an April interview with ABC’s “Good Morning America,” she described the allegations as devastating to their family and his career.

From Salon ● Oct. 17, 2026

But the paper presented these allegations as scandalous bombshells, call-ing them “startling disclosures.”

From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand

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Related Words

• accusation
• charge
• claim
• plea
• statement

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