allege

[uh-lej]

verb (used with object)

alleged, alleging 

1. to assert without proof.

2. to declare with positiveness; affirm; assert.

   to allege a fact.

   Synonyms: aver, asseverate, state
   Antonyms: deny

3. to declare before a court or elsewhere, as if under oath.

   Synonyms: attest

4. to plead in support of; offer as a reason or excuse.

5. Archaic.,  to cite or quote in confirmation.

allege

/ əˈlɛdʒ /

verb

1. to declare in or as if in a court of law; state without or before proof

   he alleged malpractice

2. to put forward (an argument or plea) for or against an accusation, claim, etc

3. archaic,  to cite or quote, as to confirm

Other Word Forms

• allegeable adjective
• alleger noun
• misallege verb (used with object)
• preallege verb (used with object)
• reallege verb (used with object)

Word History and Origins

Origin of allege¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of allege¹

C14 aleggen, ultimately from Latin allēgāre to dispatch on a mission, from lēx law

Synonym Study

See maintain.

Example Sentences

He added: "The situation is difficult, but Russian propaganda claims about the alleged 'blockade' of the Ukrainian Defence Forces in Pokrovsk, as well as in Kupiansk, are untrue."

Read more on BBC

Then, on Nov. 8, 2024, came an email from the Council: It alleged that DePree had not fulfilled the terms of the contract.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

It alleged both Jain and Cohen weren’t forthcoming about their next steps, and did not publicly disclose that they were working on Percepta until the product launched earlier this month.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The alleged stalker of Madeleine McCann's parents broke down in tears and told a court she "did not do anything wrong" while under cross-examination.

Read more on BBC

An investigation report from North Wales Police later concluded the alleged burglary victim had "lied to police" and "it now appears that said property was never stolen in the first place".

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• charge 
• cite 
• declare 
• depose 
• maintain 
• recount 
• testify 

When To Use

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.