Meaning of allege in English

allege

verb [ T ]

formal

/əˈledʒ/ us

/əˈledʒ/

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to say that someone has done something illegal or wrong without giving proof:

[ + (that) ] The two men allege (that) the police forced them to make false confessions.

[ + to infinitive ] She is alleged to have been at the centre of an international drug ring.

[ + that ] It was alleged that Johnson had struck Mr Rahim on the head.

Thesaurus: synonyms, antonyms, and examples

to accuse someone of something

accuseHe was accused of statutory rape.
make an accusation againstShe was arrested for making false accusations against her former employer.
level an accusation againstFerguson was furious at the accusations levelled against his player.
level a charge againstShe denied all the charges levelled against her.
hurl accusations atShe hurled accusations at her ex-husband across the courtroom.
charge someone withHe was charged with three counts of fraud.

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More examplesFewer examples

The prosecution alleged that he lured the officer to his death by making an emergency call.
It has been alleged that the minister received a secret payoff from an arms dealer.
The woman alleged rape, but Reeves insisted it was consensual.
Campaigners now have compelling documentary evidence of the human rights abuses that they had been alleging for several years.
The woman alleges that her employers passed her over for promotion because she was pregnant.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Blaming & accusing

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(Definition of allege from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

allege | American Dictionary

allege

verb [ T ]

/əˈledʒ/

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to state that something bad is a fact without giving proof:

School districts are alleging the state has not continued to finance schools adequately.

Note:

Usually used to describe legal matters.

alleged

adjective [ not gradable ] us

/əˈledʒd/

the alleged crime/incident/wrongdoing

allegedly

adverb [ not gradable ] us

/əˈledʒ·ɪd·li/

The company is being investigated for allegedly falsifying sales records.

(Definition of allege from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

allege | Business English

allege

verb [ T ]

/əˈledʒ/ us

Add to word list Add to word list

to state that someone has done something illegal or wrong without giving proof:

It is alleged that he used his influential position to steal thousands of pounds of company profits.

(Definition of allege from the Cambridge Business English Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

Examples of allege

allege

His main charge concerns their alleged collusion with non-academic interests to effect acceptable heritage results, politically, economically, (re)presentationally.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Yet despite this affirmative reporting obligation, some critics allege serious rights violations have arisen, which have not prompted reports of incompatibility.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

The alleged incoherence thus consists in being committed to holding that creatures are both continuants and non-continuants.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

He hated modern society for its lack of order and its pluralism, diversities and contradictions and valued modern technology's alleged ability to overcome this chaos.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

The two alleged successes have been the permanent reduction of in-ation and an improved productivity performance.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Many other examples, ranging from neighbours arguing over trespass to alleged thieves being prosecuted before sheriff courts, could be given.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

The still-living agents (and alleged agents) of the crimes cannot be included.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Clearly, my review should stand or fall on its merits, not some alleged rule invented by my two detractors.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Still, criterialism is hopeless, quite apart from any alleged connection it may or may not have to positivism.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

One common sore point is women's alleged interference in family affairs and finances.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

In short, talking about politics appears to have the salubrious effects for the body politic that democratic theorists have alleged it does.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Here, the study is a valuable corrective, challenging interpretations that allege a decline in family support for the old.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

It is this which some revisionist historians have relied upon to allege a general, long-lived atmosphere of terror.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

That the alleged victim had suffered a rib contusion is thus a false proposition.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Our purpose is to examine a particular chain of reasoning concerning the alleged inferiority of presidential systems in generating effective governance.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

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These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors.

What is the pronunciation of allege?

Translations of allege

in Chinese (Traditional)

（未經證實地）指責，宣稱，指控…

Meaning of allege in English

allege | American Dictionary

Note:

alleged

allegedly

allege | Business English

Examples of allege

Translations of allege

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