allege

/əˈledʒ/ (bre, ipa) · /əˈledʒ/ (ame, ipa) · /ə-ˈlej/ (ame, mw)

allege — verb

1. to publicly state, often in a legal or news context, that someone has acted wron

1.動詞及物C1
釋義

to publicly state, often in a legal or news context, that someone has acted wrongly or that a fact is true, while not yet showing the evidence to back this up.

例句

Prosecutors allege that Mr. Becker hid company funds in three offshore accounts.

allege + that-clause introducing the wrongdoing

The factory workers are alleged to have been paid less than the legal minimum wage.

passive: be alleged to + perfect infinitive

同義詞
  • claim

    neutral and everyday; lacks the legal/journalistic flavour of allege

  • assert

    stresses confidence; doesn't imply the claim is unproved

  • accuse

    names the wrongdoer directly ('accuse someone of'); allege focuses on the act

  • contend

    formal, used in argument or court; emphasises a position being defended

反義詞
  • prove

    to back a claim with evidence — the opposite stage of an allegation

  • deny

    to reject the allegation

文法句型

allege + that-clause

be alleged to + bare infinitive

alleged + noun

用法筆記

Frequently passive in news writing: 'X is alleged to have done Y' lets the reporter pass on a claim without endorsing it. The object is almost always a clause or a wrongdoing-noun (fraud, abuse, misconduct), rarely an ordinary thing or person on its own.

常見錯誤

❌The witness alleged the suspect.
✅The witness alleged that the suspect had stolen the car.
💡allege needs a clause or an action-noun as its object, not just a person.
❌He alleged to steal the money.
✅He is alleged to have stolen the money.
💡the to-infinitive pattern only works in the passive: 'be alleged to + V'.
❌She alleged about the manager's behaviour.
✅She made allegations about the manager's behaviour.
💡allege does not take 'about'; use the noun 'allegation' for that frame.