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allow

[ uh-lou ]

/ əˈlaʊ /

||

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR allow ON THESAURUS.COM

WATCH NOW: What Is The Origin Of The Word Allow?

WATCH NOW: What Is The Origin Of The Word Allow?

Allow is an incredibly old word, but doesn’t it make you feel young again when you hear it? Why?

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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.

Nearby words

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

ANTONYMS FOR allow

1 forbid, prohibit.

SEE MORE ANTONYMS FOR allow ON THESAURUS.COM

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.

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

Examples from the Web for 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|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST

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|DAILY BEAST
Allow to boil until the balls are well set, turning them over that both sides may get done.
The Allinson Vegetarian Cookery Book|Thomas R. Allinson
No man should allow himself to recommend another for qualities which he knows he does not possess.
The Book of Business Etiquette|Nella Henney
This is it indeed which the devil desireth; he can allow you grief and desperation, but not to amend.
A Christian Directory (Volume 1 of 4)|Richard Baxter
I would not allow that paper, blown by the wind, to scare me from the highway of the argument!
The Works of Robert G. Ingersoll, Vol. 10 (of 12)|Robert G. Ingersoll
Any other child would have retraced his steps but the brave little Henry would not allow himself to be discouraged.
Old French Fairy Tales|Comtesse de Sgur

British Dictionary definitions for allow

allow

/ (əˈlaʊ) /

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

allow

v.

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.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper