allege
Americanverb (used with object)
-
alleges,
present (3rd person singular)
-
alleged,
past participle, past
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alleging
present participle
-
to assert without proof.
-
to declare with positiveness; affirm; assert.
to allege a fact.
- Synonyms:
- aver, asseverate, state
- Antonyms:
- deny
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to declare before a court or elsewhere, as if under oath.
- Synonyms:
- attest
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to plead in support of; offer as a reason or excuse.
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Archaic. to cite or quote in confirmation.
verb
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to declare in or as if in a court of law; state without or before proof
he alleged malpractice
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to put forward (an argument or plea) for or against an accusation, claim, etc
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archaic to cite or quote, as to confirm
Usage
What does allege mean? To allege is to make an accusation or claim, especially about a crime or wrongdoing. 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. Forms of allege include the adjective alleged, the adverb allegedly, and the noun allegation (meaning an accusation or claim). Allege is most commonly used in a legal context and in journalism in reports about crime or other wrongdoing before it has been proven or before someone has been convicted. Using the word alleged allows journalists to talk about allegations without seeming to presume guilt (and getting sued for libel). Example: Investigators are alleging that Mr. Jones stole from the company over a period of 15 years.
Synonym Usage
See maintain.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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allegernoun
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misallegeverb (used with object)
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preallegeverb (used with object)
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reallegeverb (used with object)
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allegeableadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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allegesimple
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allegessimple
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have allegedperfect
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has allegedperfect
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am allegingprogressive
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are allegingprogressive
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is allegingprogressive
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have been allegingperfect progressive
-
has been allegingperfect progressive
Past
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allegedsimple
-
had allegedperfect
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was allegingprogressive
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were allegingprogressive
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had been allegingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of allege
First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English alleg(g)en, probably from Old French aleguer, from Medieval Latin, Latin allēgāre “to adduce in support of a plea” ( see allegation), conflated with Anglo-French, Old French aleg(i)er, “to justify, free,” literally, “to lighten,” from Late Latin alleviāre “to lighten, relieve” ( see alleviate); homonymous Middle English verb alleg(g)en, with literal sense of Old French aleg(i)er, replaced by allay in 16th century
Explanation
If you accuse someone of committing a crime but the proof of the wrongdoing isn't yet found, use the verb allege. You might allege that your sister broke a vase, just because no one else was home when you heard the crash. If you ever watch news programs, you often hear the verb allege. A reporter might say that detectives allege that a certain person, who is now being held without bail, set a fire. This can be confusing: If the person is in jail, then he or she must have set that fire, right? In reality, the person is a suspect, alleged with starting a fire, and awaiting trial. In the United States, people are assumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Vocabulary lists containing allege
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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:
Police allege he travelled to Russia for the training in October 2024 before returning to Australia, where he "maintained contact" with individuals he believed were linked to Moscow's intelligence services.
From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026
Prosecutors allege that Davis acquired a gun and organised two vehicles to travel to a Las Vegas club, one of them a white Cadillac, which carried three other men, including his nephew, Anderson.
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
Two former employees allege Egan-Jones pressured staff to inflate ratings, while the SEC has questioned the firm’s reliability.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
Though this focus sometimes led critics to allege that Cook was the wrong man for the job, in each case, he got the last laugh.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 2, 2026
Lyons did not allege race discrimination, but if he had, that claim would almost certainly have been a loser too.
From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander
Bowie told the informant that she would "make it a point to have picnics by the capital to observe" and learn about security measures, the complaint alleges.
From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026
Palal alleges that's when Davis and the others in the Cadillac decided to make a U-turn and confront Shakur and Knight.
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
The lawsuit alleges Polestar orchestrated its recent U.S. government ban as cover for its desire to leave the American market.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
The lawsuit alleges that Snap, the parent company of disappearing messaging app Snapchat, failed to disable and warn its users about “dangerous” features used by predators.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026
But if the defendant alleges new evidence that could lead to a different outcome in the case—or that undermines the reliability of the trial—there is typically a hearing.
From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson
“LAFD’s massive fire tender failed to follow basic safety standards in failing to stop, or even slow, the massive vehicle down before entering a very busy intersection,” the lawsuit alleged.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2026
The White House had alleged "discriminatory treatment" by Canada against US alcohol, automobile and dairy products in introducing the duties.
From Barron's ● Aug. 22, 2026
He alleged that his stepmother, Queen Camilla, leaked stories about him to improve her image.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
Stop Killing Games, which campaigns against all-digital distribution models, criticised the alleged leaks as "destructive" and urged people not to send money to those claiming responsibility.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
The September skirmish took place during a council discussion over forming a human relations Commission, primarily to hear alleged incidents of race discrimination.
From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson
I asked him to explain what was actually wrong with the SPLC, and how best not to conflate that with what the Trump administration is alleging now.
From Slate ● Aug. 22, 2026
Fresh Tape recently sued LIV, alleging that it had stiffed the Colorado-based small business to the tune of $1.2 million.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 22, 2026
The Justice Department and Federal Trade Commission jointly sued TikTok in 2024, alleging that it had placed the safety of millions of children in jeopardy by collecting their personal data without parental permission.
From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026
Mundubile, who trailed behind with 38%, plans to challenge the outcome in court after alleging the tallying process had been tampered with.
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026
Nearly all of the cases alleging racial profiling in drug-law enforcement were brought pursuant to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and its implementing regulations.
From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander
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.
