allow

verb
UK: /əˈlaʊ/
US: /əˈlaʊ/

  1. To give permission for someone to do something.

    1. My mom will allow me to go to the party tonight. [ ] [ ]
    2. The new rules will allow students more freedom in choosing courses. [ ] [ ]

  2. To permit something to happen or exist.

    1. They didn't allow dogs inside the store for hygiene reasons. [ ] [ ]
    2. The software does not allow modification of the original data files. [ ] [ ]

  3. To set aside a sum of money for a particular purpose.

    1. We allow $200 a month for groceries in our budget. [ ] [ ]
    2. The grant will allow for significant improvements to the research facility. [ ] [ ]

Synonyms

permit enable approve let grant authorize
allow transitive-verb

  1. To take into consideration

    1. We should allow for delays due to weather conditions. [ ] [ ]
    2. When calculating the project timeline, you must allow for potential setbacks. [ ] [ ]
allow intransitive-verb

  1. To permit something to happen without taking action to stop it.

    1. We cannot allow this situation to continue any longer. [ ] [ ]
    2. I will not allow such disrespectful behavior in my classroom ever. [ ] [ ]

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "allow" in English means: To give permission for someone to do something., To permit something to happen or exist., To set aside a sum of money for a particular purpose..

The phonetic transcription of "allow" is /əˈlaʊ/ in British English and /əˈlaʊ/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "allow": permit, enable, approve, let, grant, authorize.

Example usage of "allow": "My mom will allow me to go to the party tonight.". More examples on the page.