alleged

1 of 2

adjective

al·​leged ə-ˈlejd  -ˈle-jəd 

1

: accused but not proven or convicted

an alleged burglar

2

: asserted to be true or to exist

an alleged miracle

an alleged conspiracy

3

: questionably true or of a specified kind : supposed, so-called

bought an alleged antique vase

allegedly

ə-ˈle-jəd-lē 

adverb

She allegedly stole the money. [=she is alleged to have stolen the money]

alleged

2 of 2

past tense and past participle of allege

Examples of alleged in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Katrina Prowess, another Queens of the Crypt guide, shared a story about an alleged ghost at the Clothing Warehouse. — Madeline Montgomery, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026

His departure came as a bi-partisian House Ethics Committee was in the final stages of an investigation into his alleged misconduct. — Julie K. Brown, Miami Herald, 15 Oct. 2026

The woman was in her twenties at the time of the alleged incident. — Jake Kanter, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2026

The alleged rivalry between Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle was seemingly dying down—but then Meghan and Prince Harry moved back to the UK. — Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 15 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

from past participle of allege

First Known Use

Adjective

1509, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for alleged

• dredged
• edged
• fledged
• hedged
• pledged
• wedged
• unpledged

Legal Definition

alleged

adjective

al·​leged ə-ˈlejd, -ˈle-jəd 

1

: asserted to be true

especially : stated in an allegation

alleged crimes

2

: accused but not yet proven or convicted

trial of alleged war criminals

—R. G. Neumann