allow
Americanverb (used with object)
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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)
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
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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
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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allowsimple
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allowssimple
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have allowedperfect
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has allowedperfect
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am allowingprogressive
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are allowingprogressive
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is allowingprogressive
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have been allowingperfect progressive
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has been allowingperfect progressive
Past
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allowedsimple
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had allowedperfect
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was allowingprogressive
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were allowingprogressive
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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.
Allow me to use the rest of my space to make this pitch: If you’re not watching ‘The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins,’ you’re missing out on the weirdest/smartest/funniest network comedy since ‘30 Rock.’
From Los Angeles Times • May 20, 2026
Allow me to speculate: She may come knocking sooner rather than later, asking for house-insurance payments, upkeep and — whoops! — years of unpaid property tax.
From MarketWatch • Jan. 6, 2026
Allow me to add one more note in defense of Mr. McMillon.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 20, 2025
"Allow the government to micromanage your academic institution or jeopardise the institution's ability to pursue medical breakthroughs, scientific discoveries, and innovative solutions."
From BBC • May 31, 2025
“Yes, at least you seem to have some sort of decent upbringing, Matthias of Redwall. I accept your apology. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Squire Julian Gingivere.”
From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques
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.
