allegedly
Americanadverb
adverb
-
reportedly; supposedly
payments allegedly made to a former colleague
-
(sentence modifier) it is alleged that
interjection
Usage
What does allegedly mean? Allegedly means according to what has been claimed. It’s used to describe an action or situation that someone claims happened but that has not been confirmed or proven, especially a crime.Allegedly is the adverb form of the adjective alleged, which itself comes from the past tense of the verb allege, meaning to claim without proof or before proof is available. Such an accusation is called an allegation.Allegedly is most commonly used in a legal context, especially in journalism in reports about a person who has been accused of a crime or other wrongdoing but who has not been convicted. Using the word allegedly allows journalists to talk about allegations without seeming to presume guilt (and getting sued for libel).Example: Mr. Jones allegedly stole from his company over a period of 15 years.
Other Word Forms
- unallegedly adverb
Etymology
Origin of allegedly
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.
In the most recent incident a group was passing people in line to allegedly catch up to the rest of their party, Sutter said.
From Los Angeles Times
Arredondo faces 10 felony counts for allegedly delaying the official response.
From Barron's
The adult male, who wasn’t identified, allegedly broke some windows at the home, the Secret Service said.
Under the contracts, two companies controlled by DiBiase were allegedly supposed to provide leadership outreach, assess the need for emergency food aid, and help inner-city youth.
A man has been arrested for allegedly vandalizing City Hall on New Year’s Day, police said Saturday.
From Los Angeles Times
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.
