alleged

[uh-lejd, uh-lej-id]

adjective

1. declared or stated to be as described; asserted.

   The alleged murderer could not be located for questioning.

2. doubtful; suspect; supposed.

   The alleged cure-all produced no results when it was tested by reputable doctors.

alleged

/ əˈlɛdʒd /

adjective

1. stated or described to be such; presumed

   the alleged murderer

2. dubious

   an alleged miracle

Other Word Forms

• unalleged adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of alleged¹

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English; allege + -ed ²

Example Sentences

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

The prosecution alleged that Mr Linehan "deliberately whacked" Ms Brooks's phone out of her hand after she challenged him while filming.

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

A Southern California Lyft driver recently captured on video an alleged assault by seemingly intoxicated passengers who harassed and kicked him during a ride and questioned who “let him in the country.”

From Los Angeles Times

Opposition to immigration, equal opportunities policies, and climate change measures feature prominently in Reform's campaigning – which often cites spending on these issues as alleged examples of government waste.

From BBC

Related Words

• purported 
• so-called 
• stated 
• supposed 

When To Use

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.