alleged
Americanadjective
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declared or stated to be as described; asserted.
The alleged murderer could not be located for questioning.
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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
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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
Etymology
Origin of alleged
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English; allege + -ed 2
Explanation
A claim or statement that is alleged hasn't been proven true — if you're an alleged murderer, you've been accused but not convicted. When a fact is alleged, there is doubt about its accuracy. The word alleged is often used in connection with court cases, because the accused is innocent until proven guilty: an alleged robber is a suspected robber but has not been proven guilty of robbery. Journalists often use alleged in news stories when someone’s guilt is suspected but not confirmed. Sometimes alleged means doubtful or dubious, as in "Who is this alleged expert?"
Vocabulary lists containing alleged
ASVAB Word Knowledge
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Twelve Angry Men
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"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee, Chapters 26–31
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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.
“LAUSD has done exactly what the law prohibits,” Beutner alleged in a lawsuit filed in February 2025.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026
Fang Xinghai, a former star market regulator well regarded in the West, was put under investigation by the Communist Party for alleged “serious violations of discipline and law.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
In April 2025, the governor of Nigeria's embattled Borno state, Babagana Zulum, alleged that informants and collaborators for Boko Haram insurgents were operating within the country's armed forces, political class and local communities.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
It alleged that foreign hedge funds were behind the investigation in the hope of financial gain.
From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026
Some alleged calendrical devices may just possibly be due to chance—an accidental alignment of window and niche on June 21, say.
From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan
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.
