Word
allegedly
Phoneticsal·leged·ly
US/əˈɫɛdʒədɫi/
UK/ɐlˈɛdʒɪdli/
Sentence adverb
Definition
adv. used to say that something is claimed to be true, even though there is no proof yet.
adv. used to convey that a statement is an assertion rather than a verified fact, often to avoid libel or to signal skepticism.
Examples
“The man allegedly stole the car from the parking lot.”
“The company allegedly ignored safety warnings for years before the accident occurred, though the investigation is still ongoing.”
“While the suspect was allegedly seen fleeing the scene, the defense argued that the low lighting made any positive identification unreliable at best.”
Examples
simple
“The man allegedly stole the car from the parking lot.”
contextual
“The company allegedly ignored safety warnings for years before the accident occurred, though the investigation is still ongoing.”
complex
“While the suspect was allegedly seen fleeing the scene, the defense argued that the low lighting made any positive identification unreliable at best.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “allegedly” in context.
Verb
01. allegedly commit
“The suspect allegedly committed the robbery while wearing a distinctive mask.”
adv + verb
02. allegedly involve
“The scandal allegedly involved several high-ranking officials in the ministry.”
adv + verb
03. allegedly occur
“The incident allegedly occurred late Friday night outside the nightclub.”
adv + verb
04. allegedly steal
“He was arrested for allegedly stealing confidential documents from the office.”
adv + verb
Adjective
05. allegedly complicit
“Several employees were allegedly complicit in the fraudulent scheme.”
adv + adj
06. allegedly responsible
“The company allegedly responsible for the leak has denied all charges.”
adv + adj
Usage
Usually placed before the verb it modifies or at the beginning of a sentence to qualify the entire statement.
Teaching tip
This is a 'shield' word used by journalists and lawyers to talk about crimes before a court has reached a verdict.
Pitfall
He allegedly to have stolen the car.
He allegedly stole the car.
Allegedly is an adverb and should modify the verb directly; it does not function like 'is alleged to'.
Real-World Examples
“The suspect, who was allegedly recruited by Russia’s secret services, was detained by Polish authorities on 7 August.” “He also allegedly instructed staff to allow one of the young women to stay at the residence during his absence.” “This includes the IDF move to cordon off Taybeh town to people who do not live there on Tuesday, allegedly to protect them from Israeli settler attacks.” “Brazil's data protection authority (ANPD) has ordered Discord to suspend its livestreaming feature after a teenage girl was allegedly encouraged to take her own life in a broadcast on the platform.” Etymology
From alleged + -ly.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Word family
ADJECTIVE
ADVERB
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- C1 · AdvancedOxford
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