disallow
Americanverb (used with object)
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to refuse to allow; reject; veto.
to disallow a claim for compensation.
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to refuse to admit the truth or validity of.
to disallow the veracity of a report.
verb
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to reject as untrue or invalid
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to cancel
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of disallow
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English word from Old French word desallouer. See dis- 1, allow
Explanation
When you disallow something, you prohibit it. Teachers usually disallow cell phones in their classrooms. You're most likely to come across the verb disallow in official or formal contexts, like a list of rules in a courtroom or within the wording of a law. Referees often disallow certain actions in sports matches, and prison wardens disallow many kinds of behavior by prisoners. The word comes from allow, with its root allouen, "to praise, approve of, or be pleased with," with the Latin prefix dis in front, here meaning "do the opposite of."
Vocabulary lists containing disallow
Power Prefix: dis-
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"My Last Duchess" by Robert Browning
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dis-
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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.
Disallow, dis-al-low′, v.t. not to allow: to refuse permission to: to deny the authority of: to reject.—adj.
From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 1 of 4: A-D) by Various
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.
