allegation
Americannoun
-
the act of alleging; affirmation.
- Synonyms:
- contention, claim, accusation, charge
-
an assertion made with little or no proof.
- Synonyms:
- contention, claim, accusation, charge
-
an assertion made by a party in a legal proceeding, which the party then undertakes to prove.
-
a statement offered as a plea, excuse, or justification.
noun
-
the act of alleging
-
an unproved statement or assertion, esp one in an accusation
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
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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
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.
Vocabulary lists containing allegation
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
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This Week in Words: September 14–20, 2019
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Nelson Mandela "I am Prepared to Die" (1964)
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
A court-appointed monitor accused Fain of abusing his power to benefit his fiancée, an allegation now under investigation by the Justice Department.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026
Platner, a Marine veteran whose blunt anti-establishment message thrilled the progressive grassroots, quit the race after a rape allegation he denies.
From Barron's ● Jul. 10, 2026
Platner called the allegation “categorically untrue,” then said he was “taking the time to reflect on the best path forward.”
From Salon ● Jul. 10, 2026
In the video on Wednesday, Platner called the allegation "false" and said it was "the worst thing that a person could do, and it was not remotely true".
From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026
“No,” he said robustly, as if dismissing a preposterous and possibly slanderous allegation.
From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson
It said the claims had been investigated by authorities in several jurisdictions which, according to BGC, had not substantiated the allegations.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
Though the west African country's oil production has historically been hampered by pipeline theft and allegations of state corruption and mismanagement, the June numbers mark the highest recorded crude production since April 2020.
From Barron's ● Jul. 13, 2026
The State Bar has since charged him, along with the remaining partners at DTLA, over separate allegations that they signed up clients in states where they had no license to practice.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 12, 2026
The country was awarded the right to host the 2022 World Cup in 2010, despite allegations of corruption it was later cleared of.
From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026
Yet, however much the tone of the article suggested otherwise, even if true, the allegations were trivial.
From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
