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 alleged incident occurred while the two co-starred in the 2016 YouTube series The Gay and Wondrous Life of Caleb Gallo. —Lynette Rice, Deadline, 7 Feb. 2025

The alleged incident occurred on or about Feb. 1 within Scott County. —Contributed Content, Twin Cities, 6 Feb. 2025

Relli declared, continuing a string of tense moments between the alleged victim and Rocky’s defense team. —Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 5 Feb. 2025

China this week also opened a probe into Google over alleged antitrust violations, although the market regulator did not supply details over the focus of the investigation. —Arjun Kharpal, CNBC, 5 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

from past participle of allege

First Known Use

1509, in the meaning defined at sense 2

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