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alegar

to allege

verb ah-leh-GAHR Less Common

Origin: From Latin 'allegare' (to send, to cite as authority).

Also means

to claim, to cite

Usage Note

Alegar means to put forward a reason, claim, or legal argument — closer to 'to allege' or 'to cite' than to 'to say'. It is common in legal and journalistic contexts (alegó inocencia — he alleged innocence). The spelling-change verb requires alegué in the preterite first person.

Examples

"El abogado alegó falta de pruebas."

Natural Translation

The lawyer alleged a lack of evidence.

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