Meanings
allege1
present singular third person alleges · participle present alleging · participle past alleged · past alleged · alternative alleadge · alternative alledg · alternative alledge · alternative allegge
- transitiveTo adduce (something) as a reason, excuse, support etc.
I will further alleage a storie[…]to make us palpably feele his naturall condition.
1603, Michel de Montaigne, chapter 39, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes […], book I, London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], →OCLCSynonyms: plead
- transitiveTo make a claim as justification or proof; to make an assertion without proof.
The agency alleged that my credit history had problems.
allege2
present singular third person alleges · participle present alleging · participle past alleged · past alleged · alternative alleadge · alternative alledg · alternative alledge · alternative allegge
- obsoleteTo lighten, diminish.
and suffir never your soveraynté to be alledged with your subjects,
and suffer not your sovereignty to be diminished with your subjects,
1470–1485 (date produced), Thomas Malory, “(please specify the chapter)”, in [Le Morte Darthur], book V, [London: […] by William Caxton], published 31 July 1485, →OCLC; republished as H[einrich] Oskar Sommer, editor, Le Morte Darthur […], London: David Nutt, […], 1889, →OCLC1 more example
Hart that is inly hurt, is greatly eased / With hope of thing, that may allegge his smart[…].
1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book III, Canto II”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTo adduce (something) as a reason, excuse, support etc.
More synonyms by meaning
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
allege · verb
- Latinex“out”
- Medieval Latin*exlītigāre“to clear at law”
- Old Frenchesligier“to acquit”
- Anglo-Normanaleger
- Old Frenchalleguer
- Middle Englishaleggen
- Englishallege
From Middle English aleggen, perhaps from Old French alleguer, or from Anglo-Norman aleger, the form perhaps from Old French esligier (“to acquit”), from Medieval Latin *exlītigāre (“to clear at law”), from Latin ex (“out”) + lītigō (“sue at law”), but the meaning from Old French alleguer, from Latin allēgāre (“send on a mission, depute; relate, mention, adduce”), from ad (“to”) + lēgō (“send”). See also al-.
More words from Middle English, Old French, Anglo-Norman
Full word history & related roots →allege · verb
- Latinalleviāre“lighten”
- Old Frenchalegier
- Middle Englishalleggen
- Englishallege
From Middle English alleggen, from Old French alegier, from Latin alleviāre (“lighten”), from ad + levis (“light”). Doublet of alleviate.
More words from Middle English, Old French, Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek προφασίζομαι
- προφασίζομαι (prophasízomai)to adduce as a reason, excuse, support etc.
Arabic زَعَمَ
- زَعَمَ (zaʕama)to assert without proof
Bulgarian заявявам под клетва, твърдя
- заявявам под клетва (zajavjavam pod kletva)to state under oath
- твърдя (tvărdja)to assert without proof
Catalan afirmar, sostenir
- afirmarto state under oath
- sostenirto state under oath
- mantenirto state under oath
- al·legarto adduce as a reason, excuse, support etc.
- adduirto adduce as a reason, excuse, support etc.
- al·legarto assert without proof
Chinese Mandarin 宣誓, 宣稱 /宣称
- 宣誓 (xuānshì)to state under oath
- 宣稱 /宣称 (xuānchēng)to assert without proof
Czech tvrdit, prohlašovat
- tvrditto assert without proof
- prohlašovatto assert without proof
- prohlásitto assert without proof
Dutch beweren
- bewerento assert without proof
Finnish vannoa, epäillä
- vannoato state under oath
- epäilläto assert without proof
French prétendre, alléguer
- prétendreto assert without proof
- alléguerto assert without proof
- prétexterto assert without proof
German behaupten
- behauptento assert without proof
Greek ισχυρίζομαι
- ισχυρίζομαι (ischyrízomai)to assert without proof
Italian dichiarare, sostenere
- dichiarareto state under oath
- sostenereto state under oath
- addurreto adduce as a reason, excuse, support etc.
- supportareto adduce as a reason, excuse, support etc.
- avvalorareto adduce as a reason, excuse, support etc.
- sostenereto assert without proof
- asserireto assert without proof
Japanese 確言する, 言い切る
- 確言する (kakugen suru)to state under oath
- 言い切る (iikiru)to state under oath
- 主張する (shuchō suru)to assert without proof
- 喧伝する (kenden suru)to assert without proof
- 言い張る (iiharu)to assert without proof
Latin praetentō
- praetentōto assert without proof
Portuguese alegar
- alegarto assert without proof
Russian заявля́ть под присягой, безоснова́тельно утвержда́ть
- заявля́ть под присягой (zajavljátʹ pod prisjagoj)to state under oath
- безоснова́тельно утвержда́ть (bezosnovátelʹno utverždátʹ)to assert without proof
- голосло́вно утвержда́ть (goloslóvno utverždátʹ)to assert without proof
Scottish Gaelic cuir às leth
- cuir às lethto assert without proof
Spanish afirmar, alegar
- afirmarto state under oath
- alegarto adduce as a reason, excuse, support etc.
- alegarto assert without proof
- afirmarto assert without proof
Swedish påstå
- påståto assert without proof
Thai กล่าวอ้าง
- กล่าวอ้างto assert without proof
Vietnamese cáo buộc
- cáo buộcto assert without proof
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with allege
All rhymes →Cite this entry
allege. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/allege
“allege.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/allege. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “allege,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/allege.
Source: allege on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.