How to Say "alleged" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “alleged” is “presunto” — use 'presunto' when referring to someone officially suspected of a crime or wrongdoing, especially in legal or police contexts, before guilt has been established.
presunto
preh-SOON-tohpɾeˈsunto
Examples
El presunto culpable no se presentó a declarar.
The alleged culprit did not appear to testify.
El presunto ladrón fue detenido esta mañana.
The alleged thief was arrested this morning.
Estamos investigando un presunto caso de fraude.
We are investigating an alleged case of fraud.
La policía busca al presunto autor del crimen.
The police are looking for the suspected perpetrator of the crime.
Placement is key
Just like in English, this word usually goes right before the person or thing you are describing (e.g., 'el presunto ladrón').
Matching gender
Don't forget to change the ending to 'presunta' if you are talking about a woman or a feminine object (like 'una presunta estafa').
Confusing with 'suspect'
Mistake: “Calling someone 'el presunto' on its own.”
Correction: Use 'el sospechoso' if you want to say 'the suspect' as a noun. Use 'presunto' only as a description (e.g., 'el presunto criminal').
supuesto
soo-PWEHS-tohsuˈpwesto
Examples
Aceptaron las supuestas pruebas falsas.
They accepted the supposed false evidence.
La policía detuvo al supuesto ladrón.
The police arrested the alleged thief.
El supuesto acuerdo nunca se firmó.
The supposed agreement was never signed.
Hablamos sobre las supuestas ventajas del nuevo sistema.
We talked about the supposed advantages of the new system.
Adjectives Must Match
Like most Spanish adjectives, 'supuesto' changes to match the person or thing it describes. Use 'supuesto' for masculine things ('el supuesto ladrón') and 'supuesta' for feminine things ('la supuesta causa'). It also becomes plural: 'los supuestos expertos'.
Forgetting to Match Gender
Mistake: “La supuesto razón es complicada.”
Correction: La supuesta razón es complicada. Because 'razón' (reason) is a feminine word, the adjective describing it must also be feminine.
Presunto vs. Supuesto
Related Translations
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