allegation
Americannoun
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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
- misallegation noun
- nonallegation noun
- preallegation noun
- reallegation noun
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; legal ) + -iōn- -ion
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.
“This allegation is entirely false and fabricated,” chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said in a statement after the Financial Times report was released.
From Salon • Mar. 31, 2026
To support the unfounded allegation, they circulated screenshots on social media showing results from JustDone.
From Barron's • Mar. 30, 2026
The White House quickly responded to Leo, rejecting the allegation that illegal immigrants were being treated inhumanely.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 21, 2026
And during oral arguments in January, both the liberal and conservative flanks of the court expressed doubts in the government’s claim that Trump could oust Cook on the basis of an unproven allegation.
From Slate • Mar. 19, 2026
In other words, Burr’s allegation that Hamilton had made a practice of vilifying him for many years was essentially correct.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
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.
