allegation

[al-i-gey-shuhn]

noun

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.

allegation

/ ˌælɪˈɡeɪʃən /

noun

1. the act of alleging

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

Other Word Forms

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of allegation¹

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; legal ) + -iōn- -ion

Example Sentences

Some movies take inspiration from real-life whistleblower cases involving allegations of wrongdoing and unsafe working conditions.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Paying ransoms has been made illegal in Nigeria, although there are allegations this ban has been widely ignored.

Read more on BBC

Captain Ben Stokes said he can accept criticism of his England team but believes allegations of arrogance are "too far".

Read more on BBC

Iqbal Mohamed said last week he had decided to leave Your Party, citing "false allegations and smears against me and others".

Read more on Barron's

What makes these allegations particularly concerning is that, if accurate, they’d amount to an established firm erecting barriers to entry to a smaller competitor—classic anticompetitive behavior.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• accusation 
• charge 
• claim 
• plea 
• statement 

When To Use

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.