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

Unified declined to comment on this specific allegation.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026

Responding to this allegation last week, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said the demonstrations had been policed in "an extremely proportionate manner".

From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026

The leader of France Unbowed, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, has rejected the allegation.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 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

Federal agents seized her phone and passport and searched her residence as part of an investigation into allegations dating back to her childhood.

From Salon ● Oct. 17, 2026

But it can insist on transparency where legally possible, investigate the history of the allegations and examine whether officials are adhering to the standards that protect prosecutorial independence.

From Salon ● Oct. 17, 2026

Prosecutors rebutted Busfield’s allegations in a response to the dismissal and asked the court to deny his motion.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026

Petrie, who had denied the allegations, will be supervised and monitored in the community for a further three years after his release.

From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026

She had had no legal help; because of defects in her pleadings and the allegations she made in her complaint, we could secure only a small settlement judgment for her.

From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson

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Related Words

• accusation
• charge
• claim
• plea
• statement

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