allow

American  

[uh-lou] / əˈlaʊ /

verb (used with object)

1. to give permission to or for; permit.

   to allow a student to be absent;

   No swimming allowed.

   Antonyms:

   prohibit, forbid

2. to let have; give as one's share; grant as one's right.

   to allow a person $100 for expenses.

3. to permit by neglect, oversight, or the like.

   to allow a door to remain open.

4. to admit; acknowledge; concede.

   to allow a claim.

5. to take into consideration, as by adding or subtracting; set apart.

   to allow an hour for changing trains.

6. Older Use. to say; think.

7. Archaic. to approve; sanction.

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verb (used without object)

1. to permit something to happen or to exist; admit (often followed byof ): a premise that allows of only one conclusion.

   to spend more than one's budget allows;

   a premise that allows of only one conclusion.

idioms

1. allow for, to make concession or provision for.

   to allow for breakage.

allow British  

/ əˈlaʊ /

verb

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

2. (tr) to set aside

   five hours were allowed to do the job

3. (tr) to let enter or stay

   they don't allow dogs

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

5. (tr) to let have; grant

   he was allowed few visitors

6. to take into account

   allow for delays

7. to permit; admit

   a question that allows of only one reply

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

9. archaic (tr) to approve; accept

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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

• preallow
  verb (used with object)

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."

Example Sentences

Huang said the breakthrough came when firefighters were able strip the outer casing of the tank to allow for better cooling.

From Los Angeles Times • May 25, 2026

Ferrari opened a new $230 million factory in 2024 to allow for EV production, defying peers who slowed EV development.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 25, 2026

He said landowners in flood zones should be able to provide additional information to local planning authorities, to allow them to "make an educated decision".

From BBC • May 25, 2026

The narrative possibilities of willful forgetting allow Balda’s wool-clad characters to extend themselves far past the boundaries of George’s field and into the hearts of younger and older viewers alike.

From Salon • May 25, 2026

This new efficiency in the capital markets would allow lower-middle-class Americans to pay lower and lower interest rates on their debts.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis

Related Words

• approve
• authorize
• favor
• oblige
• recognize
• release
• support
• tolerate