alleging

Alleging is the present participle of the verb allege. To allege is to claim that something is true, often without conclusive proof, or to present an assertion as a basis for argument or action. Alleging describes the act of making such claims, and it can apply to statements about facts, circumstances, or conduct. The term is common in legal, journalistic, and academic writing, and it carries a nuance of assertion that has not yet been established by evidence.

In legal contexts, allegations are statements of fact that a party asserts in pleadings or motions. They set forth what the party intends to prove at trial and are typically subject to validation through evidence and argument. A defendant may deny or dispute allegations, and a court may require proof before they are treated as established truth. In other contexts, journalists or scholars may use alleging to report claims attributed to others, for example: “the report alleges misconduct” or “two witnesses allege …” In such cases, the writer is reporting a claim rather than declaring it as fact, and attribution is common to avoid misrepresentation.

Etymology: Alleging derives from the verb allege, which originates from Latin allegare, via Old French, meaning to cite as evidence or to bring forward. Related forms include allegation (a stated claim) and alleged (said to be the case).

See also: allegation; alleged.