allow
Americanverb (used with object)
-
allows,
present (3rd person singular)
-
allowed,
past participle, past
-
allowing
present participle
-
to give permission to or for; permit.
to allow a student to be absent;
No swimming allowed.
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to let have; give as one's share; grant as one's right.
to allow a person $100 for expenses.
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to permit by neglect, oversight, or the like.
to allow a door to remain open.
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to admit; acknowledge; concede.
to allow a claim.
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to take into consideration, as by adding or subtracting; set apart.
to allow an hour for changing trains.
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Older Use. to say; think.
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Archaic. to approve; sanction.
verb (used without object)
-
allows,
present (3rd person singular)
-
allowed,
past participle, past
-
allowing
present participle
idioms
verb
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(tr) to permit (to do something); let
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(tr) to set aside
five hours were allowed to do the job
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(tr) to let enter or stay
they don't allow dogs
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(tr) to acknowledge or concede (a point, claim, etc)
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(tr) to let have; grant
he was allowed few visitors
-
to take into account
allow for delays
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to permit; admit
a question that allows of only one reply
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dialect (tr; may take a clause as object) to assert; maintain
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archaic (tr) to approve; accept
Usage
What are other ways to say allow? To allow something is to give permission for it. How is allow different from permit and let? Learn more on Thesaurus.com.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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allowsimple
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allowssimple
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have allowedperfect
-
has allowedperfect
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am allowingprogressive
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are allowingprogressive
-
is allowingprogressive
-
have been allowingperfect progressive
-
has been allowingperfect progressive
Past
-
allowedsimple
-
had allowedperfect
-
was allowingprogressive
-
were allowingprogressive
-
had been allowingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of allow
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English alowen, from Anglo-French al(l)o(u)er “to place, allot, allow,” Old French aloer “to place,” from Late Latin allocāre; see al-, locus; the older sense “approve, sanction” and Middle English sense “praise” probably by taking the Anglo-French verb as representing Medieval Latin, Latin adlaudāre “to praise”; see ad-, laud
Explanation
If you allow your best friend to read your diary, it means you've given him permission to do it. The verb allow means to let someone do something. You can allow casually, like when you allow your friend to bite off a few pieces from your candy necklace, or more officially, as when a city government decides to allow dogs to be brought into restaurants. Allow can also be used to mean "admit the truth of," so you could say, "Fine, I'll allow that dogs aren't any dirtier than many people, but it's still strange seeing them in restaurants."
Vocabulary lists containing allow
Beowulf vocabulary
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"The Sporting Spirit"
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Workshop 3, Part 2
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Analysts at Eurasia Group said in a report that they expect a U.S.-Iran de-escalation in September, which would allow for a partial reopening of the strait.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 16, 2026
Those companies don’t allow changes to how their models operate, giving them tighter control over how they respond to queries.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
But the route is only accessible during the time of the year when the ice is melted enough to allow transits without icebreakers.
From Barron's ● Aug. 16, 2026
Liechtenstein has announced that it has changed royal succession rules to allow women to ascend the throne.
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026
“And the best part is that it’ll allow me to earn a credit or two toward my BA before I even finish high school.”
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
This allows insurers to increase payments and shift profits to affiliates.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
It allows them to live what she refers to as “a perfect day,” but also to connect with their community offline and in person.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026
"This allows atomic nuclei to form and be stable -- which means matter, as we interact with it in the universe, can exist."
From Science Daily ● Aug. 16, 2026
Some students in England may be able to receive their results through the Education Record app, which allows grades to be delivered directly to their phones.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
I think it’s her air of “unbothered” that allows her to wear just about anything and make it work.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
Insurance companies, which invest policyholder premiums in bonds and other debt investments, are allowed to lend to so-called affiliated entities—those with ties to the insurer’s owner—as long as the loans are disclosed.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
The Nimans hope that, should they win or settle, farmers and ranchers would again be allowed in the seashore.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026
In his ruling, Judge William Alsup said Anthropic's use of the authors' books was "exceedingly transformative" and therefore allowed under US law.
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026
Those advances allowed the team to identify the bone as a premaxilla.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 15, 2026
Their mother and oldest sister took care of their daily needs; but it’s unlikely that Maggie and Kate were allowed to keep much, if any, of the money they earned.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
Hawaiian, United and Southwest offered travel waivers allowing customers to change affected flights at no extra cost.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026
The researchers believe the results of the three studies could eventually lead to changes in heart failure guidelines, potentially allowing many more patients to receive digoxin.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 16, 2026
Climate change has had some advantages for Germany's winegrowers over the years, allowing them to experiment with grape varieties better suited to warmer climes and making cultivation possible in new areas.
From Barron's ● Aug. 16, 2026
The immediate cause of the heatwaves has been persistent high-pressure weather systems bringing clear, sunny skies and allowing temperatures to build, according to the Met Office.
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026
In fact, some of my calculations from the azimuth angle report had been programmed into it, allowing them to be performed more quickly.
From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
