allow

[uh-lou]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR allow ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object)

to give permission to or for; permit: to allow a student to be absent; No swimming allowed.

to let have; give as one's share; grant as one's right: to allow a person $100 for expenses.

to permit by neglect, oversight, or the like: to allow a door to remain open.

to admit; acknowledge; concede: to allow a claim.

to take into consideration, as by adding or subtracting; set apart: to allow an hour for changing trains.

Older Use. to say; think.

Archaic. to approve; sanction.

verb (used without object)

to permit something to happen or to exist; admit (often followed by of): to spend more than one's budget allows; a premise that allows of only one conclusion.

Idioms

allow for, to make concession or provision for: to allow for breakage.

Origin of allow

1250–1300; Middle English alowen < Anglo-French al(l)o(u)er to place, allot, allow, Old French aloer to place < Late Latin allocāre; see al-, locus; the older sense “approve, sanction” and Middle English sense “praise” probably by taking the Anglo-French v. as representing Medieval Latin, Latin adlaudāre to praise; see ad-, laud

Related formspre·al·low, verb (used with object)

Synonym study

1. Allow, let, permit imply granting or conceding the right of someone to do something. Allow and permit are often interchangeable, but permit is the more positive. Allow implies complete absence of an attempt, or even an intent, to hinder. Permit suggests formal or implied assent or authorization. Let is the familiar, conversational term for both allow and permit.

Antonyms for allow

1. forbid, prohibit.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for allow

grant, authorize, oblige, recognize, support, tolerate, favor, pass, release, approve, provide, assign, give, own, confess, avow, concede, acquiesce, accord, certify

Examples from the Web for allow

Contemporary Examples of allow

This week, Florida became the 36th state to allow same-sex marriage.
Jeb Bush’s Unseen Anti-Gay Marriage Emails
Jackie Kucinich
January 9, 2015
First, they allow Paul to siphon off attention from whichever potential candidate is making news.
Rand Paul’s Passive-Aggressive Trolling Campaign
Olivia Nuzzi
January 6, 2015
By contrast, a gun will allow a pilot to attack hostile forces that are less than 300 feet from friendly ground forces.
New U.S. Stealth Jet Can’t Fire Its Gun Until 2019
Dave Majumdar
December 31, 2014
Cover with plastic wrap and allow the dates to soften, about 15 minutes.
Make ‘The Chew’s’ Carla Hall’s Sticky Toffee Pudding
Carla Hall
December 28, 2014
Allow beans to cool completely then remove to a paper towel-lined plate to dry.
Make Carla Hall’s Crispy Shallot Green Bean Casserole
Carla Hall
December 27, 2014

Historical Examples of allow

Accept them for a dowry; and allow me to claim one privilege in return.
Philothea
Lydia Maria Child
He worships every handsome woman, who will allow herself to be polluted by his incense.
Philothea
Lydia Maria Child
The King of course could not allow one of his subjects to outdo him in such a matter.
Ancient Man
Hendrik Willem van Loon
Austin, who did not see the allusion, had to allow Dick to speak for himself.
Viviette
William J. Locke
Andrew paused in the shallows to allow Sally one swallow; then he went on.
Way of the Lawless
Max Brand

British Dictionary definitions for allow

allow

verb

(tr) to permit (to do something); let

(tr) to set asidefive hours were allowed to do the job

(tr) to let enter or staythey don't allow dogs

(tr) to acknowledge or concede (a point, claim, etc)

(tr) to let have; granthe was allowed few visitors

(intr foll by for) to take into accountallow for delays

(intr often foll by of) to permit; admita question that allows of only one reply

(tr; may take a clause as object) US dialect to assert; maintain

(tr) archaic to approve; accept

Word Origin for allow

C14: from Old French alouer, from Late Latin allaudāre to extol, influenced by Medieval Latin allocāre to assign, allocate

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for allow

early 14c., allouen, "to commend, praise; approve of, be pleased with; appreciate the value of;" also, "take into account or give credit for," also, in law and philosophy, "recognize, admit as valid" (a privilege, an excuse, a statement, etc.). From late 14c. as "sanction or permit; condone;" in business use from early 15c.

The Middle English word is from Anglo-French alouer, Old French aloer, alloiier (13c.) "allot, apportion, bestow, assign," from Latin allocare (see allocate). This word in Old French was confused and ultimately merged with aloer; alloer "to praise, commend," from Latin allaudare, adlaudare, compound of ad- "to" (see ad-) + laudare "to praise" (see laud). From the first word came the sense preserved in allowance as "money granted;" from the second came its meaning "permission based on approval."

Between the two primary significations there naturally arose a variety of uses blending them in the general idea of assign with approval, grant, concede a thing claimed or urged, admit a thing offered, permit, etc., etc. [OED].

Related: Allowed; allowing.