alleged

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]

Examples of alleged in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Tren de Aragua's most notorious alleged crime was the 2024 killing of Ronald Ojeda, a former Venezuelan army officer who conspired against Nicolás Maduro, the country's authoritarian leader, then fled to Chile. —John Otis, NPR, 16 Mar. 2025

But the investigator said this admission could make the alleged crime worse. —Landon Mion, Fox News, 16 Mar. 2025

The alleged incident was captured on video, according to the insider. —Diane J. Cho, People.com, 15 Mar. 2025

The lawsuit against Washington is sparse on details about what led up to the alleged incident. —Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 14 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

from past participle of allege

First Known Use

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