alligated

Alligated is a rarely used English verb meaning to allege or to assert a claim, especially in a formal or legal context. It denotes presenting a charge or assertion as a fact, typically without full proof. Today, the standard term is allege (and its past tense alleged), so alligate and alligated are largely confined to historical texts, niche legal writing, or stylistic usage that aims for archaic tone.

In modern English, alligate is uncommon, and most writers would choose alleged or allege instead. If used, alligate generally appears in legal or scholarly prose and follows ordinary verb patterns: for example, alligated can be used as the past participle in a sentence like “The plaintiff alligated that the contract was void due to misrepresentation.” More natural alternatives would be “The plaintiff alleged that the contract was void” or “The plaintiff alleges that the contract was void.”

Alligated should not be confused with similarly spelled terms. Alligator refers to the reptile, while alligation is a separate term in mathematics and pharmacy dealing with mixture proportions. The word is also distinct from allegations, which are the claims themselves rather than the act of claiming. Consequently, alligated remains a niche, largely archaic form in contemporary usage.