alleged
Americanadjective
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declared or stated to be as described; asserted.
The alleged murderer could not be located for questioning.
-
doubtful; suspect; supposed.
The alleged cure-all produced no results when it was tested by reputable doctors.
adjective
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stated or described to be such; presumed
the alleged murderer
-
dubious
an alleged miracle
Usage
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.
Other Word Forms
- unalleged adjective
Etymology
Origin of alleged
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English; allege + -ed 2
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.
Brazil’s UFO capital marks 30 years since alleged alien encounter.
From MarketWatch
The news outlet reported that Tontitown police said this separate investigation was “launched on the heels of the alleged incident in Florida.”
From Los Angeles Times
The BBC has obtained a copy of the indictment that includes charges relating to an alleged operation aimed at changing the political course of Angola.
From BBC
Super Micro Computer shares fell 33% Friday after an indictment alleged employees tried to export restricted Nvidia AI servers to China.
From Barron's
Burrows had previously retracted the statement, in which he is also alleged to have said the group suing the publisher were "a small handful of my targets".
From BBC
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.
