alleged

[uh-lejd, uh-lej-id]

adjective

1. declared or stated to be as described; asserted.

   The alleged murderer could not be located for questioning.

2. doubtful; suspect; supposed.

   The alleged cure-all produced no results when it was tested by reputable doctors.

alleged

/ əˈlɛdʒd /

adjective

1. stated or described to be such; presumed

   the alleged murderer

2. dubious

   an alleged miracle

Other Word Forms

• unalleged adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of alleged¹

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English; allege + -ed ²

Example Sentences

The alleged “wisdom of crowds” is so stupid, so often that it seems crazy to suggest that today’s stock market — which is, after all, just “the crowd” chasing money — is the craziest on record.

Read more on MarketWatch

It is alleged that the masked pair, who cannot be named due to their age, chased and attacked Amen with a sword and frying pan.

Read more on BBC

The organiser of an annual vigil held to mark the disappearance of Madeleine McCann has told a court she was "stunned" after being approached by the alleged stalker of the missing girl's parents.

Read more on BBC

In the prosecution's closing speech, Mr Ratliff said the alleged threat to kill was "not some off-the-cuff comment" and the video was "sinister and menacing".

Read more on BBC

The petition alleged that FEMA’s leadership wasn’t following the laws that were put in place in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina to strengthen disaster response.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• purported 
• so-called 
• stated 
• supposed 

When To Use

What does alleged mean?

Alleged is an adjective that’s used to describe things that have been claimed. It’s most often used to describe an action or situation, especially a wrongdoing or crime, that someone claims happened but that has not been confirmed or proven.Alleged can also be used as the past tense of the verb allege, meaning to claim without proof or before proof is available. Such an accusation is called an allegation. The adverb form of alleged is allegedly.As an adjective, alleged can be correctly pronounced either uh-LEJD or uh-LEJ-id. When it’s used as a verb, it’s always pronounced uh-LEJD.Alleged 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).Sometimes, alleged is used to mean doubtful or supposed in a way that’s intended to indicate skepticism about something, as in The alleged genius can’t even run a small company.   Example: The alleged crime took place when my client was half a state away.