1
: accused but not proven or convicted
an alleged burglar
2
: asserted to be true or to exist
an alleged miracle
an alleged conspiracy
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
The alleged perpetrator was immediately detained by police.
—
Sean Nevin, NBC news, 24 Apr. 2026
The alleged perpetrator, whose name was not released in line with German privacy rules, was immediately detained by police.
—Markus Schreiber, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2026
The alleged kidnapping of Donaldson was the second time this normally rare type of crime — the abduction of a policeman during the course of his job — has occurred in the East Bay in two months.
—Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 23 Apr. 2026
Two alleged co-defendants, Patricia Enderton, 45, and Federico Jorge Triebel IV, 79, pleaded not guilty in the case and are set to go to trial later this year.
—Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for alleged
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Sean Nevin, NBC news, 24 Apr. 2026
The alleged perpetrator, whose name was not released in line with German privacy rules, was immediately detained by police.
—Markus Schreiber, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2026
The alleged kidnapping of Donaldson was the second time this normally rare type of crime — the abduction of a policeman during the course of his job — has occurred in the East Bay in two months.
—Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 23 Apr. 2026
Two alleged co-defendants, Patricia Enderton, 45, and Federico Jorge Triebel IV, 79, pleaded not guilty in the case and are set to go to trial later this year.
—Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for alleged
Cite this Entry
“Alleged.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/alleged. Accessed 28 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLegal 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
R. G. NeumannLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
