Alleged
/əˈlɛdʒd/
adjectiveIntermediateCommonGeneral
Meaning
Question
Definitions
1
Claimed to be true, but not yet proven.
/əˈlɛdʒd/
adjectiveneutralIntermediate
General
Claimed to be true or to have happened but not yet proven.
The alleged thief was caught on camera.
💡 Simply: Said to be true, but not yet confirmed.
More Examples
2
The alleged crime occurred late at night.
How It's Used
Legal
"The alleged perpetrator was apprehended by police."
News Reporting
"The alleged victim gave a statement to the authorities."
From Middle English *alleged, from Old French alegier, from alegat (past participle of alegier) 'to allege'. Ultimately from Latin allegare 'to allege, to cite'.
The word 'alleged' has been used in legal and journalistic contexts for centuries, reflecting a cautious approach to reporting unverified claims.
Memory tip
Think 'allegation' - a claim that needs proving.
Practice
Base: allege
allegeedalligedaleadged
Usage
20%Spoken
80%Written