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
Shocking allegations have erupted from the Moore administration’s Department of Human Services surrounding an alleged scheme to intentionally maintain a high error rate in SNAP payments.
—
Torrey Snow, Baltimore Sun, 11 Jan. 2026
Cops have apprehended the alleged stabber, who lived just paces from where the attack occurred.
—Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 10 Jan. 2026
Lawyers of alleged associates either did not return calls or declined to comment.
—Jesse Hyde, Rolling Stone, 10 Jan. 2026
Noem also criticized state authorities for failing to investigate alleged fraud in the state, which triggered the influx of federal agents to Minnesota.
—Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 9 Jan. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Alleged.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/alleged. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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
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