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Webster 1913 Edition


Allege

Al-lege′

(ăl-lĕj′)
,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Alleged
(-lĕjd′)
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Alleging
.]
[OE.
aleggen
to bring forward as evidence, OF.
esligier
to buy, prop. to free from legal difficulties, fr. an assumed LL.
exlitigare
; L.
ex
+
litigare
to quarrel, sue (see
Litigate
). The word was confused with L.
allegare
(see
Allegation
), and
lex
law. Cf.
Allay
.]
1.
To bring forward with positiveness; to declare; to affirm; to assert;
as, to
allege
a fact
.
2.
To cite or quote;
as, to
allege
the authority of a judge
.
[Archaic]
3.
To produce or urge as a reason, plea, or excuse;
as, he refused to lend,
alleging
a resolution against lending
.
Syn. – To bring forward; adduce; advance; assign; produce; declare; affirm; assert; aver; predicate.

Al-lege′

,
Verb.
T.
[See
Allay
.]
To alleviate; to lighten, as a burden or a trouble.
[Obs.]
Wyclif.

Webster 1828 Edition


Allege

ALLEGE.

[See Alledge.]

Definition 2024


allege

allege

See also: allégé and allège

English

Alternative forms

Verb

allege (third-person singular simple present alleges, present participle alleging, simple past and past participle alleged)

  1. (obsolete) To lighten, diminish.
    • 1485, Sir Thomas Malory, Le Morte d’Arthur, Bk.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 [].

Etymology 2

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

allege (third-person singular simple present alleges, present participle alleging, simple past and past participle alleged)

  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.
  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
Translations

See also

References


Latin

Verb

allege

  1. second-person singular present active imperative of allegō