allege
Americanverb (used with object)
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to assert without proof.
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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.
Related Words
See maintain.
Other Word Forms
- allegeable adjective
- alleger noun
- misallege verb (used with object)
- preallege verb (used with object)
- reallege verb (used with object)
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” ( allegation ), conflated with Anglo-French, Old French aleg(i)er, “to justify, free,” literally, “to lighten,” from Late Latin alleviāre “to lighten, relieve” ( alleviate ); homonymous Middle English verb alleg(g)en, with literal sense of Old French aleg(i)er, replaced by allay in 16th century
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.
Corrupt tax officials quickly complied, and the money disappeared into a bank controlled by Klyuev, prosecutors allege.
From Barron's • Mar. 31, 2026
They allege Tower was “freeriding on decades of GF innovation with an intent to unlawfully take business away from the American chip maker,” GlobalFoundries said.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026
"He was there at the North Ryde address, and we will allege he conveyed Mr Baghsarian to the stronghold," he said.
From BBC • Mar. 25, 2026
Prosecutors allege that the defendants “took extensive measures to conceal their scheme.”
From MarketWatch • Mar. 21, 2026
I did not like to walk at this hour alone with Mr. Rochester in the shadowy orchard; but I could not find a reason to allege for leaving him.
From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë
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.
