allege

[uh-lej]

verb (used with object)

alleged, alleging 

1. to assert without proof.

2. to declare with positiveness; affirm; assert.

   to allege a fact.

   Synonyms: aver, asseverate, state
   Antonyms: deny

3. to declare before a court or elsewhere, as if under oath.

   Synonyms: attest

4. to plead in support of; offer as a reason or excuse.

5. Archaic.,  to cite or quote in confirmation.

allege

/ əˈlɛdʒ /

verb

1. to declare in or as if in a court of law; state without or before proof

   he alleged malpractice

2. to put forward (an argument or plea) for or against an accusation, claim, etc

3. archaic,  to cite or quote, as to confirm

Other Word Forms

• allegeable adjective
• alleger noun
• misallege verb (used with object)
• preallege verb (used with object)
• reallege verb (used with object)

Word History and Origins

Origin of allege¹

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English alleg(g)en, probably from Old French aleguer, from Medieval Latin, Latin allēgāre “to adduce in support of a plea” ( allegation ), conflated with Anglo-French, Old French aleg(i)er, “to justify, free,” literally, “to lighten,” from Late Latin alleviāre “to lighten, relieve” ( alleviate ); homonymous Middle English verb alleg(g)en, with literal sense of Old French aleg(i)er, replaced by allay in 16th century

Word History and Origins

Origin of allege¹

C14 aleggen, ultimately from Latin allēgāre to dispatch on a mission, from lēx law

Synonym Study

See maintain.

Example Sentences

A federal judge has rejected Newsmax’s lawsuit alleging Fox News violated U.S. antitrust laws by squeezing out rival conservative news networks.

From Los Angeles Times

It also cited broader evidence of alleged war crimes by both the RSF and the regular army, however both sides have previously denied any wrongdoing in the country's ongoing civil war.

From BBC

Last fall, the state sued the southeastern Los Angeles County community alleging that Norwalk’s policy violated anti-discrimination, fair housing and numerous other state laws.

From Los Angeles Times

The prosecution alleges Mr Linehan "relentlessly" posted abusive comments about Sophia Brooks, 18, on social media last October, before throwing her phone in a road.

From BBC

At the Epstein press conference, six of the dead felon’s alleged victims held a press conference and urged the president to come forward with every single document in the Epstein files, some 100,000 pages.

From Salon

Related Words

• charge 
• cite 
• declare 
• depose 
• maintain 
• recount 
• testify 

When To Use

What does allege mean?

To allege is to make an accusation or claim, especially about a crime or wrongdoing. 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.Forms of allege include the adjective alleged, the adverb allegedly, and the noun allegation (meaning an accusation or claim).Allege 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).Example: Investigators are alleging that Mr. Jones stole from the company over a period of 15 years.