allow

[ uh-lou ]

See 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 about allow

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

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

Opposites for allow

1	forbid, prohibit

See antonyms for allow on Thesaurus.com

Other words from allow

pre·al·low, verb (used with object)

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use allow in a sentence

People watch night soaps because the genre allows them to believe in a world where people just react off their baser instincts.
‘Empire’ Review: Hip-Hop Musical Chairs with an Insane Soap Opera Twist | Judnick Mayard | January 8, 2015 | THE DAILY BEAST
Jett sees this number as a marker of how much the president allows professionals to do the job.
U.S. Embassies Have Always Been for Sale | William O’Connor | January 2, 2015 | THE DAILY BEAST
In the most extreme cases, it allows for the extrajudicial killing of black people without consequence.
What Would Happen if I Got in White Cop’s Face? | Goldie Taylor | December 30, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
The doctor tells me I can walk on it right away, “as comfort allows.”
You’re Never ‘Cured’ of an Eating Disorder | Carrie Arnold | December 20, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
At its most simplified, the revision allows big players more access to insured deposits while making certain types of bets.
How Naive is Elizabeth Warren? | Nick Gillespie | December 18, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST

For a "cold collation on the occasion of the audit" our Council always allows 10.
Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 107, November 3, 1894 | Various
Is there any earthly father who would allow his children to suffer as God allows Man to suffer?
God and my Neighbour | Robert Blatchford
But in the great famines, as in India and Russia, God allows millions to die of starvation.
God and my Neighbour | Robert Blatchford
At sea he allows her to wear an easy negligé, but in port she must appear in full dress.
A Woman's Journey Round the World | Ida Pfeiffer
This increased pressure above the balls allows them to return to their original position, under the influence of gravity.
The Recent Revolution in Organ Building | George Laing Miller

British Dictionary definitions for allow

allow

/ (əˈlaʊ) /

verb

(tr) to permit (to do something); let
(tr) to set aside: five hours were allowed to do the job

(tr) to let enter or stay: they don't allow dogs
(tr) to acknowledge or concede (a point, claim, etc)
(tr) to let have; grant: he was allowed few visitors
(intr foll by for) to take into account: allow for delays
(intr often foll by of) to permit; admit: a question that allows of only one reply
(tr; may take a clause as object) US dialect to assert; maintain
(tr) archaic to approve; accept

Origin of 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

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