Allege

Pronunciation

• IPA: /əˈlÉ›dÊ’/
• Rhymes: -É›dÊ’

Alternative forms

• alledg obsolete
• alledge obsolete

From Old French alegier, from Latin alleviāre, present active infinitive of alleviō ("lighten"), from ad + levis ("light").

Full definition of allege

Verb

1. (obsolete) To lighten, diminish.
• 1485, Sir Thomas Malory, Le Morte Darthur, Book V:and suffir never your soveraynté to be alledged with your subjects, nother the soveraygne of your persone and londys.
• 1590, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene, III.ii:Hart that is inly hurt, is greatly eased
  With hope of thing, that may allegge his smart ....

From Middle English aleggen, from Anglo-Norman aleger, the form from Old French esligier, from Medieval Latin *exlītigāre ("to clear at law"), from Latin ex ("out") + lītigō ("sue at law"), the meaning from Old French alleguer, from Latin allēgāre, present active infinitive of allēgō ("send, depute; relate, mention, adduce"), from ad ("to") + lēgō ("send").

Verb

1. (obsolete, transitive) To state under oath, to plead.
2. (archaic) To cite or quote an author or his work for or against.
3. (transitive) To adduce (something) as a reason, excuse, support etc.
• 1603, John Florio, translating Michel de Montaigne, Essays, I.39:I will further alleage a storie ... to make us palpably feele his naturall condition.
4. (transitive) To make a claim as justification or proof; to make an assertion without proof.
   The agency alleged my credit history had problems.

Related terms

• allegation
• privilege