alleged

adjective

al·​leged ə-ˈlejd How to pronounce alleged (audio) -ˈle-jəd How to pronounce alleged (audio)
Synonyms of allegednext
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 adverb
She allegedly stole the money. [=she is alleged to have stolen the money]

Examples of alleged in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Young and his alleged accomplices, Jared Gray and Sencere Hayes, have pleaded not guilty. Tim Stelloh, NBC news, 28 May 2026 An alleged shoplifter was shot and killed by police Wednesday outside Town Center at Cobb mall in Kennesaw, Georgia. CBS News, 28 May 2026 Former police officer Charles Brewer, a frequent YouTube commentator on Nancy Guthrie’s case, recently posted a new video suggesting that Nancy may have known her alleged kidnapper. Allison Degrushe, StyleCaster, 28 May 2026 From 2004-2007, Hansen’s To Catch a Predator, a special offshoot of Dateline that targeted alleged child predators, averaged just over 7 million viewers, bumping up the newsmagazine’s series average by 13%, according to Nielsen. Toni Fitzgerald, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for alleged

Word History

Etymology

from past participle of allege

First Known Use

1509, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of alleged was in 1509

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Alleged.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/alleged. Accessed 3 Jun. 2026.

Legal Definition

alleged

adjective
1
: asserted to be true
especially : stated in an allegation
alleged crimes
2
: accused but not yet proven or convicted
trial of alleged war criminalsR. G. Neumann

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