Legal Definitions - material allegation

A material allegation is a statement made in a legal pleading that is essential to the claim, charge, or defense. It is something that has been declared or asserted as a matter of fact, without having been proved yet.

• In a battery case, a material allegation would be that the defendant made harmful or offensive contact with the plaintiff.
• A disjunctive allegation is a statement in a pleading that expresses something in the alternative, usually with the conjunction "or". For example, a charge that the defendant murdered or caused to be murdered is a disjunctive allegation.
• A defensive allegation is a defendant's response in an ecclesiastical action. It is a pleading of the facts relied upon that require the plaintiff's response under oath.

These examples illustrate how a material allegation is a statement that is crucial to a legal case. Without these statements, the case may not have a strong foundation or may not be able to proceed.