allegation
Americannoun
-
allegations
plural
-
the act of alleging; affirmation.
- Synonyms:
- contention, claim, accusation, charge
-
an assertion made with little or no proof.
- Synonyms:
- contention, claim, accusation, charge
-
an assertion made by a party in a legal proceeding, which the party then undertakes to prove.
-
a statement offered as a plea, excuse, or justification.
noun
-
the act of alleging
-
an unproved statement or assertion, esp one in an accusation
Usage
What does allegation mean? An allegation is an accusation or claim that something wrong has been done, especially a crime. 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. Allegation is the noun form of the verb allege, meaning to claim without proof or before proof is available. Related forms include the adjective alleged and the adverb allegedly. The word allegation 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 allegation allows journalists to talk about accusations without seeming to presume guilt (and getting sued for libel). Example: We will prove that the allegations against my client are absolutely baseless.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of allegation
1375–1425; late Middle English < Latin allēgātiōn- (stem of allēgātiō ), equivalent to allēgāt ( us ), past participle of allēgāre to adduce in support of a plea ( al- al- + -lēgāre, derivative of lēx law; see legal) + -iōn- -ion
Explanation
An allegation is an accusation, which is sometimes true and sometimes not. If you say your sister stole a candy bar but you don't have any proof that she did it, you have made an allegation. In the legal system, an allegation is a formal claim against someone. It sparks an investigation that leads to someone being proven innocent or found guilty. In everyday use, however, an allegation is what someone thinks, whether or not there is proof. For example, if someone makes an allegation that you're a terrible driver, they might base it on their own experience, but they won't be able to prove it.
Vocabulary lists containing allegation
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
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This Week in Words: September 14–20, 2019
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Nelson Mandela "I am Prepared to Die" (1964)
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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.
See Examples For:
The court was also told Sherzad had been arrested in Leeds in October over an allegation involving a woman known to Tajzai.
From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026
"So this came completely out of the blue, off effectively an allegation which must have been either malicious or mistaken."
From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026
She is still seeking to prove that allegation false in an ongoing court case.
From Barron's ● Sep. 16, 2026
The law firm hired by the national union investigated Regan’s claim of retaliation but found the allegation could not be substantiated.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026
In other words, Burr’s allegation that Hamilton had made a practice of vilifying him for many years was essentially correct.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
She added: “The university takes all reports of harassment seriously, including those involving gender identity, and applies the same legal standards to these reports as it does to all allegations of harassment.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026
The goal of these tactics is not to exonerate the person using them from allegations of criminality, corruption or incompetence.
From Salon ● Sep. 18, 2026
“The principles of due process, having counsel and the opportunity to challenge evidence matter most when the allegations are most difficult to hear.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026
Further allegations made in Earl Spencer's new book are in several of today's papers.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
Mostly they report the same facts and allegations as earlier in the day, trying to talk to girls who work at the club, hounding its owner as he gets into a car.
From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee
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.
