Definitions for allow
əˈlaʊal·low

Princeton's WordNet(5.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. let, allow, permit(verb)

   make it possible through a specific action or lack of action for something to happen

   "This permits the water to rush in"; "This sealed door won't allow the water come into the basement"; "This will permit the rain to run off"

2. permit, allow, let, countenance(verb)

   consent to, give permission

   "She permitted her son to visit her estranged husband"; "I won't let the police search her basement"; "I cannot allow you to see your exam"

3. allow, grant(verb)

   let have

   "grant permission"; "Mandela was allowed few visitors in prison"

4. allow, appropriate, earmark, set aside, reserve(verb)

   give or assign a resource to a particular person or cause

   "I will earmark this money for your research"; "She sets aside time for meditation every day"

5. leave, allow for, allow, provide(verb)

   make a possibility or provide opportunity for; permit to be attainable or cause to remain

   "This leaves no room for improvement"; "The evidence allows only one conclusion"; "allow for mistakes"; "leave lots of time for the trip"; "This procedure provides for lots of leeway"

6. allow, take into account(verb)

   allow or plan for a certain possibility; concede the truth or validity of something

   "I allow for this possibility"; "The seamstress planned for 5% shrinkage after the first wash"

7. admit, allow(verb)

   afford possibility

   "This problem admits of no solution"; "This short story allows of several different interpretations"

8. give up, allow(verb)

   allow the other (baseball) team to score

   "give up a run"

9. allow(verb)

   grant as a discount or in exchange

   "The camera store owner allowed me $50 on my old camera"

10. allow, permit, tolerate(verb)

    allow the presence of or allow (an activity) without opposing or prohibiting

    "We don't allow dogs here"; "Children are not permitted beyond this point"; "We cannot tolerate smoking in the hospital"

Wiktionary(3.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. allow(Verb)

   To grant, give, admit, accord, afford, or yield; to let one have.

   Etymology: From allouen, from alouer , from Medieval allaudāre, (ad-) + laudare, merged with alouer, from Medieval Latin allocāre.

2. allow(Verb)

   To acknowledge; to accept as true; to concede; to accede to an opinion.

   Etymology: From allouen, from alouer , from Medieval allaudāre, (ad-) + laudare, merged with alouer, from Medieval Latin allocāre.

3. allow(Verb)

   To grant (something) as a deduction or an addition; especially to abate or deduct;

   To allow a sum for leakage.

   Etymology: From allouen, from alouer , from Medieval allaudāre, (ad-) + laudare, merged with alouer, from Medieval Latin allocāre.

4. allow(Verb)

   To grant license to; to permit; to consent to.

   Etymology: From allouen, from alouer , from Medieval allaudāre, (ad-) + laudare, merged with alouer, from Medieval Latin allocāre.

5. allow(Verb)

   To not bar or obstruct.

   Although I don't consent to their holding such meetings, I will allow them for the time being.

   Etymology: From allouen, from alouer , from Medieval allaudāre, (ad-) + laudare, merged with alouer, from Medieval Latin allocāre.

6. allow(Verb)

   To acknowledge or concede.

   Etymology: From allouen, from alouer , from Medieval allaudāre, (ad-) + laudare, merged with alouer, from Medieval Latin allocāre.

7. allow(Verb)

   To take into account by making an allowance.

   When calculating a budget for a construction project, always allow for contingencies.

   Etymology: From allouen, from alouer , from Medieval allaudāre, (ad-) + laudare, merged with alouer, from Medieval Latin allocāre.

8. allow(Verb)

   To render physically possible

   Etymology: From allouen, from alouer , from Medieval allaudāre, (ad-) + laudare, merged with alouer, from Medieval Latin allocāre.

Webster Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Allow(verb)

   to praise; to approve of; hence, to sanction

2. Allow(verb)

   to like; to be suited or pleased with

3. Allow(verb)

   to sanction; to invest; to intrust

4. Allow(verb)

   to grant, give, admit, accord, afford, or yield; to let one have; as, to allow a servant his liberty; to allow a free passage; to allow one day for rest

5. Allow(verb)

   to own or acknowledge; to accept as true; to concede; to accede to an opinion; as, to allow a right; to allow a claim; to allow the truth of a proposition

6. Allow(verb)

   to grant (something) as a deduction or an addition; esp. to abate or deduct; as, to allow a sum for leakage

7. Allow(verb)

   to grant license to; to permit; to consent to; as, to allow a son to be absent

8. Allow(verb)

   to admit; to concede; to make allowance or abatement

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Allow

   al-low′, v.t. to grant: to permit: to acknowledge: to abate: make allowance for: (obs.) invest, entrust: assert, say (coll. in U.S.).—adj. Allow′able, that may be allowed: not forbidden: lawful.—n. Allow′ableness.—adv. Allow′ably.—n. Allow′ance, that which is allowed: a limited portion of anything: a stated quantity—of money, &c., to meet expenses: abatement: approbation: permission.—v.t. to put any one upon an allowance: to supply anything in limited quantities.—To make allowance for, to take excusing circumstances into account. [O. Fr. alouer, to grant—L. ad, to, and locāre, to place.—Allow, in the sense of approve or sanction, as used in B. and by old writers, has its root in L. allaudāre—ad-, and laudāre, to praise.]

Editors Contribution(5.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. allow

   To give permission to.

   Time did allow for their love to connect and for them to marry before the date they choose as they knew they were both so right for each other.

   Submitted by MaryC on February 15, 2020  

British National Corpus

1. Spoken Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'allow' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #854

2. Written Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'allow' in Written Corpus Frequency: #1328

3. Verbs Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'allow' in Verbs Frequency: #59

How to pronounce allow?

1. 

   Alex

   US English

   

   Daniel

   British

   

   Karen

   Australian

   

   Veena

   Indian

How to say allow in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of allow in Chaldean Numerology is: 2

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of allow in Pythagorean Numerology is: 9

Examples of allow in a Sentence

1. Jim Knoepp:

   These workers have waited seven long years for justice, this agreement and apology from the company will allow the workers to finally move on with their lives.

2. Michele Maggio:

   The institutions are nowhere to be seen here. It's pure chaos, either you don't allow them in the country or you set up the necessary structures to look after them.

3. Connie LaBouff:

   The single strap hook and loop will allow him to put his shoes on and adjust them to the tightness he personally needs, the reinforced toe means that he will be able to wear a pair he is used to longer without the anxiety of changing shoes.

4. Zoran Milanovic:

   Citizens of Serbia, all your prime minister needs to do is to stop such an intense flow of migrants, we can function with 4,000 to 5,000 people a day. But more than that will not work, and I will not allow it.

5. Gill Rosenberg:

   For me that was a big difference between just a regular war and genocide, and I couldn't stand by and allow that to happen.

Images & Illustrations of allow

Popularity rank by frequency of use