allow


Also found in: Thesaurus, Medical, Legal, Financial, Idioms, Encyclopedia.
Related to allow: alloy

al·low

 (ə-lou′)
v. al·lowed, al·low·ing, al·lows
v.tr.
1. To let do or happen; permit: We allow smoking only in restricted areas.
2. To permit the presence of: No pets are allowed inside.
3. To permit to have: allow oneself a little treat.
4. To make provision for; assign: The schedule allows time for a coffee break.
5. To plan for in case of need: allow two inches in the fabric for shrinkage.
6. To grant as a discount or in exchange: allowed me 20 dollars on my old typewriter.
7. Chiefly Southern & Midland US
a. To admit; concede: I allowed he was right.
b. To think; suppose: "We allow he's straight" (American Speech).
c. To assert; declare: Mother allowed that we'd better come in for dinner.
v.intr.
1. To offer a possibility; admit: The poem allows of several interpretations.
2. To take a possibility into account; make allowance: In calculating profit, retailers must allow for breakage and spoilage.

[Middle English allouen, to approve, permit, from Old French alouer, from Latin allaudāre, to praise (ad-, intensive pref.; see ad- + laudāre, to praise; see laud) and from Medieval Latin allocāre, to assign; see allocate.]

al·low′a·ble adj.
al·low′a·bly adv.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

allow

(əˈlaʊ)
vb
1. (tr) to permit (to do something); let
2. (tr) to set aside: five hours were allowed to do the job.
3. (tr) to let enter or stay: they don't allow dogs.
4. (tr) to acknowledge or concede (a point, claim, etc)
5. (tr) to let have; grant: he was allowed few visitors.
6. (foll by: for) to take into account: allow for delays.
7. (often foll by: of) to permit; admit: a question that allows of only one reply.
8. (tr; may take a clause as object) dialect US to assert; maintain
9. (tr) archaic to approve; accept
[C14: from Old French alouer, from Late Latin allaudāre to extol, influenced by Medieval Latin allocāre to assign, allocate]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

al•low

(əˈlaʊ)

v.t.
1. to give permission to or for; permit: to allow a student to be absent; No smoking allowed.
2. to let have; give as one's share: to allow a person $100 for expenses.
3. to permit by neglect or oversight: to allow a door to remain open.
4. to admit; acknowledge; concede: I had to allow that he was right.
5. to approve, as for payment: to allow a claim.
6. to assign or allocate; set apart: to allow an hour for changing trains.
7. Older Use. to say; think.
8. Archaic. to approve; sanction.
v.i.
9. to permit or grant; admit (often fol. by of): to spend more than one's budget allows; a premise that allows of only one conclusion.
10. allow for, to make provision for: to allow for breakage.
[1250–1300; Middle English alowen < Anglo-French al(l)o(u)er to place, allot, allow, Old French aloer to place < Medieval Latin allocāre; see allocate]
syn: allow, permit, let imply granting or conceding the right of someone to do something. allow suggests passivity or even oversight; it points to the absence of an attempt or intent to hinder: The baby-sitter allowed the children to run around the house. permit implies a more positive or willing consent; it is often used of a formal authorization: Bicycle riding is not permitted in this park. let is a familiar, conversational term used in a similar sense: My parents let me stay up late.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

allow

permitletenable

Allow, permit, and let are all used to say that someone is given permission to do something, or is not prevented from doing something. Permit is a formal word.

1. 'allow' and 'permit'

Allow and permit are followed by an object and a to-infinitive clause.

He allowed me to take the course.
They do not permit students to use calculators in exams.

You can say that people are not allowed to do something or are not permitted to do something.

Visitors are not allowed to take photographs in the museum.
Children are not permitted to use the swimming pool.

You can also say that something is not allowed or that it is not permitted.

Running was not allowed in the school.
Picnics are not permitted in the park.
2. 'let'

Let is followed by an object and an infinitive without to.

Let me go to the party on Saturday. I won't be late.

You don't usually use 'let' in the passive. Don't say, for example, 'She was let go to the party'.

3. 'enable'

Don't confuse any of these words with enable. To enable someone to do something means to give them the opportunity to do it. It does not mean to give them permission to do it.

Contraception enables women to plan their families.
The new test should enable doctors to detect the disease early.
Collins COBUILD English Usage © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 2004, 2011, 2012

allow


Past participle: allowed
Gerund: allowing

Imperative
allow
allow
Present
I allow
you allow
he/she/it allows
we allow
you allow
they allow
Preterite
I allowed
you allowed
he/she/it allowed
we allowed
you allowed
they allowed
Present Continuous
I am allowing
you are allowing
he/she/it is allowing
we are allowing
you are allowing
they are allowing
Present Perfect
I have allowed
you have allowed
he/she/it has allowed
we have allowed
you have allowed
they have allowed
Past Continuous
I was allowing
you were allowing
he/she/it was allowing
we were allowing
you were allowing
they were allowing
Past Perfect
I had allowed
you had allowed
he/she/it had allowed
we had allowed
you had allowed
they had allowed
Future
I will allow
you will allow
he/she/it will allow
we will allow
you will allow
they will allow
Future Perfect
I will have allowed
you will have allowed
he/she/it will have allowed
we will have allowed
you will have allowed
they will have allowed
Future Continuous
I will be allowing
you will be allowing
he/she/it will be allowing
we will be allowing
you will be allowing
they will be allowing
Present Perfect Continuous
I have been allowing
you have been allowing
he/she/it has been allowing
we have been allowing
you have been allowing
they have been allowing
Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been allowing
you will have been allowing
he/she/it will have been allowing
we will have been allowing
you will have been allowing
they will have been allowing
Past Perfect Continuous
I had been allowing
you had been allowing
he/she/it had been allowing
we had been allowing
you had been allowing
they had been allowing
Conditional
I would allow
you would allow
he/she/it would allow
we would allow
you would allow
they would allow
Past Conditional
I would have allowed
you would have allowed
he/she/it would have allowed
we would have allowed
you would have allowed
they would have allowed
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Verb1.allow - make it possible through a specific action or lack of action for something to happen; "This permits the water to rush in"; "This sealed door won't allow the water come into the basement"; "This will permit the rain to run off"
pass - allow to go without comment or censure; "the insult passed as if unnoticed"
2.allow - consent to, give permissionallow - consent to, give permission; "She permitted her son to visit her estranged husband"; "I won't let the police search her basement"; "I cannot allow you to see your exam"
brook, endure, tolerate, stomach, abide, bear, digest, stick out, suffer, put up, stand, support - put up with something or somebody unpleasant; "I cannot bear his constant criticism"; "The new secretary had to endure a lot of unprofessional remarks"; "he learned to tolerate the heat"; "She stuck out two years in a miserable marriage"
furlough - grant a leave to; "The prisoner was furloughed for the weekend to visit her children"
give - allow to have or take; "I give you two minutes to respond"
consent, go for, accept - give an affirmative reply to; respond favorably to; "I cannot accept your invitation"; "I go for this resolution"
permit, tolerate, allow - allow the presence of or allow (an activity) without opposing or prohibiting; "We don't allow dogs here"; "Children are not permitted beyond this point"; "We cannot tolerate smoking in the hospital"
authorize, authorise, clear, pass - grant authorization or clearance for; "Clear the manuscript for publication"; "The rock star never authorized this slanderous biography"
grant, allow - let have; "grant permission"; "Mandela was allowed few visitors in prison"
let in, admit, include - allow participation in or the right to be part of; permit to exercise the rights, functions, and responsibilities of; "admit someone to the profession"; "She was admitted to the New Jersey Bar"
privilege, favour, favor - bestow a privilege upon
trust - allow without fear
allow in, intromit, let in, admit - allow to enter; grant entry to; "We cannot admit non-members into our club building"; "This pipe admits air"
nix, prohibit, proscribe, disallow, forbid, interdict, veto - command against; "I forbid you to call me late at night"; "Mother vetoed the trip to the chocolate store"; "Dad nixed our plans"
3.allow - let have; "grant permission"; "Mandela was allowed few visitors in prison"
countenance, permit, allow, let - consent to, give permission; "She permitted her son to visit her estranged husband"; "I won't let the police search her basement"; "I cannot allow you to see your exam"
give - transfer possession of something concrete or abstract to somebody; "I gave her my money"; "can you give me lessons?"; "She gave the children lots of love and tender loving care"
vouchsafe - grant in a condescending manner
allowance - put on a fixed allowance, as of food
deny, refuse - refuse to let have; "She denies me every pleasure"; "he denies her her weekly allowance"
4.allow - give or assign a resource to a particular person or causeallow - give or assign a resource to a particular person or cause; "I will earmark this money for your research"; "She sets aside time for meditation every day"
allot, portion, assign - give out; "We were assigned new uniforms"
5.allow - make a possibility or provide opportunity forallow - make a possibility or provide opportunity for; permit to be attainable or cause to remain; "This leaves no room for improvement"; "The evidence allows only one conclusion"; "allow for mistakes"; "leave lots of time for the trip"; "This procedure provides for lots of leeway"
yield, afford, give - be the cause or source of; "He gave me a lot of trouble"; "Our meeting afforded much interesting information"
admit, allow - afford possibility; "This problem admits of no solution"; "This short story allows of several different interpretations"
6.allow - allow or plan for a certain possibility; concede the truth or validity of something; "I allow for this possibility"; "The seamstress planned for 5% shrinkage after the first wash"
count on, figure, forecast, reckon, estimate, calculate - judge to be probable
budget for - calculate enough money for; provide for in the budget; "I have not budgeted for these expensive meals"
7.allow - afford possibilityallow - afford possibility; "This problem admits of no solution"; "This short story allows of several different interpretations"
allow for, allow, provide, leave - make a possibility or provide opportunity for; permit to be attainable or cause to remain; "This leaves no room for improvement"; "The evidence allows only one conclusion"; "allow for mistakes"; "leave lots of time for the trip"; "This procedure provides for lots of leeway"
8.allow - allow the other (baseball) team to scoreallow - allow the other (baseball) team to score; "give up a run"
9.allow - grant as a discount or in exchangeallow - grant as a discount or in exchange; "The camera store owner allowed me $50 on my old camera"
discount - give a reduction in price on; "I never discount these books-they sell like hot cakes"
10.allow - allow the presence of or allow (an activity) without opposing or prohibitingallow - allow the presence of or allow (an activity) without opposing or prohibiting; "We don't allow dogs here"; "Children are not permitted beyond this point"; "We cannot tolerate smoking in the hospital"
countenance, permit, allow, let - consent to, give permission; "She permitted her son to visit her estranged husband"; "I won't let the police search her basement"; "I cannot allow you to see your exam"
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

allow

verb
2. let, permit, sanction, authorize, license, tolerate, consent to, countenance, concede to, assent to, give leave to, give the green light for, give a blank cheque to He allows her to drive his Mercedes 300SE.
let deny, forbid
3. give, provide, grant, spare, devote, assign, allocate, set aside, deduct, earmark, remit, allot Please allow 28 days for delivery.
4. acknowledge, accept, admit, grant, recognize, yield, concede, confess, acquiesce He allows that the development may result in social inequality.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

allow

verb
1. To neither forbid nor prevent:
2. To give one's consent to:
Informal: OK.
3. To afford an opportunity for:
4. To set aside or distribute as a share:
5. Chiefly Regional. To recognize, often reluctantly, the reality or truth of:
Slang: fess up.
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
سمحسمح بيُجِيز، يُبِيحيُخَصِّص ، يَمْنَحيَسْمَحُ
dovolitpočítat sposkytovat
tilladebevilgegivelade få
salliavarautuahyväksyämyöntää
dopustiti
enged
láta í té, gefaleyfataka tillit til, gera ráî fyrir
許す
허락하다
atsižvelgtiduotileidžiamas kiekisleistinumatyti
atļautdotpieļautpiešķirt
poskytovať
dovoliti
tillåta
อนุญาต
izin vermekvermekgözönünde bulundurmak
cho phép

allow

[əˈlaʊ] VT
1. (= permit)
1.1.permitir
smoking is not allowedno está permitido fumar
"no dogs allowed"no se admiten perros
allow me!¡permítame!
he can't have sweets, he's not allowedno puede comer caramelos, no se lo permiten or no lo dejan
to allow sb to do sthdejar or (more frm) permitir a algn hacer algo, dejar or (more frm) permitir que algn haga algo
nobody was allowed to leaveno dejaron or permitieron marcharse a nadie, no dejaron or permitieron que nadie se marchara
allow me to introduce you to Dr Ambergpermítame que le presente al Dr Amberg
we cannot allow this to happenno podemos permitir que esto ocurra
allow the mixture to cooldeje enfriar la mezcla
he was allowed home after hospital treatmentle permitieron or le dejaron irse a casa tras recibir tratamiento en el hospital
he is not allowed visitorsno le permiten visitas
1.2.
to allow sb in/out/pastpermitir or dejar a algn entrar/salir/pasar, permitir or dejar a algn que entre/salga/pase
he's not allowed out on his ownno le dejan salir or que salga solo a la calle, no le permiten salir or que salga solo a la calle
they made holes in the box to allow air inhicieron unos agujeros en la caja para que entrara el aire
2.
to allow o.s. to allow o.s. to be persuadeddejarse convencer
he won't allow himself to failhará lo imposible por evitar el fracaso
she allowed herself a smiledejó escapar una sonrisa
3. (= reckon on) → dejar
allow 5cms for shrinkagedejar 5cms por si encoge
allow (yourself) three hours for the journeydeja or calcula tres horas para el viaje
how much should I allow for expenses?¿cuánto debo prever para los gastos?
please allow 28 days for deliverylo recibirá en su casa en un plazo de 28 días
4. (= grant) [+ money] → asignar; [+ time] → dar
the time allowed has been extended to 28 daysel plazo establecido ha sido ampliado a 28 días
the judge allowed him £1,000 costsel juez le asignó 1.000 libras en concepto de costes
to allow sb a discountaplicar or hacer un descuento a algn
the extra income will allow me more freedomel ingreso extra me dará más libertad
5. (Jur) (= admit) [+ claim, appeal] → admitir, aceptar (Sport) [+ goal] → conceder
to allow thatreconocer que
I had to allow that she was discreettuve que reconocer que era discreta
allow for VI + PREPtener en cuenta
after allowing for his costsdespués de haber tenido en cuenta sus gastos
allow for delays on some roadstengan en cuenta que puede haber retenciones en algunas carreteras
we have to allow for that possibilitydebemos tener presente esa posibilidad
we must allow for the cost of the woodtenemos que dejar un margen para el coste de la madera
allow of VI + PREPadmitir
a question that allows of only one replyuna pregunta que sólo admite una respuesta
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

allow

[əˈlaʊ]
vt
(= permit) [+ practice, behaviour] → permettre, autoriser
to allow sb to do sth (= give permission) → permettre à qn de faire qch, autoriser qn à faire qch
They don't allow their wives to work → Ils ne permettent pas à leurs femmes de travailler.
His mum allowed him to go out → Sa mère lui a permis de sortir. (= make possible) → permettre à qn de faire qch
The new equipment will allow us to improve our research → Le nouveau matériel va nous permettre d'améliorer nos recherches.
to be allowed to do sth → être autorisé(e) à faire qch
He's not allowed to go out at night → Il n'est pas autorisé à sortir le soir.
to allow sth to happen → laisser se produire qch
Don't allow the soil to dry out → Ne laissez pas la terre s'assécher.
not allowed
Smoking is not allowed → Il est interdit de fumer.
to allow a goal → accorder un but
allow me → permettez-moi
"Please," Jerry said. "Allow me." → "S'il vous plaît" dit Jerry. "Permettez-moi."
allow me to ... → permettez-moi de ...
Allow me to introduce Dr Amberg → Permettez-moi de vous présenter le Dr Amberg.
(= allocate) [+ sum to spend] → accorder, allouer
(= estimate, allow for) [+ sum, time estimated] → compter, prévoir
Allow about 75ml per person → Comptez environ 75ml par personne.
We must allow 3 days for the journey → Il faut compter 3 jours pour le voyage.
Please allow 28 days for delivery
BUT Délai de livraison : 28 jours à réception de la commande.
(= concede) to allow that ... → convenir que ...
allow for
vt fus [+ possibility, problems, expenses] → prévoir
allow of
vt fus (formal)admettre, souffrir
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

allow

vt
(= permit) stherlauben, gestatten; behaviour etcgestatten, zulassen; to allow somebody somethingjdm etw erlauben or gestatten; to allow somebody to do somethingjdm erlauben or gestatten, etw zu tun; to be allowed to do somethingetw tun dürfen; smoking is not allowedRauchen ist nicht gestattet; “no dogs allowed”Hunde müssen draußen bleiben; we were allowed one drinkuns wurde ein Drink erlaubt or gestattet; we’re not allowed much freedomwir haben nicht viel Freiheit; will you be allowed to?darfst du denn?; will you allow him to?erlauben Sie es ihm?, lassen Sie ihn denn? (inf); to allow oneself somethingsich (dat)etw erlauben; (= treat oneself)sich (dat)etw gönnen; to allow oneself to be waited on/persuaded etcsich bedienen/überreden etc lassen; allow me!gestatten Sie (form); allow me to help yougestatten Sie, dass ich Ihnen helfe (form); to allow something to happenetw zulassen, zulassen, dass etw geschieht; to allow somebody in/out/past etcjdn hinein-/hinaus-/vorbeilassen etc; to be allowed in/out/pasthinein-/hinaus-/vorbeidürfen
(= recognize, accept) claim, appeal, goalanerkennen
(= allocate, grant) discountgeben; spacelassen; timeeinplanen, einberechnen; moneygeben, zugestehen; (in tax, Jur) → zugestehen; allow (yourself) an hour to cross the cityrechnen Sie mit einer Stunde, um durch die Stadt zu kommen; he allowed me two hours for thater gab mir zwei Stunden dafür; allow 5 cms extrageben Sie 5 cm zu
(= concede)annehmen; allowing or if we allow that …angenommen, (dass) …
vi if time allowsfalls es zeitlich möglich ist
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

allow

[əˈlaʊ] vt
a. (permit) to allow sb to do sthpermettere a qn di fare qc, autorizzare qn a fare qc
smoking is not allowed → è vietato fumare, non è permesso fumare
he is allowed to do it → lo può fare
he's not allowed alcohol → gli hanno proibito l'alcol
to allow sb in/out → lasciare entrare/uscire qn
allow me! → mi permetta!, se mi permette!, prego!
b. (make provision for) → tener conto di, calcolare
we must allow 3 days for the journey → dobbiamo calcolare 3 giorni per il viaggio
allow 5 cm for the hem → lasciare 5 cm in più per il bordo
c. (grant, money, rations) → concedere, accordare (Law) (claim, appeal) → riconoscere, ammettere (Sport) (goal) → convalidare
to allow that (frm) (concede) → ammettere che
allow for vi + preptener conto di, calcolare
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

allow

(əˈlau) verb
1. not to forbid or prevent. He allowed me to enter; Playing football in the street is not allowed.
2. (with for) to take into consideration when judging or deciding. These figures allow for price rises.
3. to give, especially for a particular purpose or regularly. His father allows him too much money.
alˈlowance noun
1. a fixed sum or quantity given regularly. His father made him an allowance of $20 a month.
2. something (usually a quantity) allowed. This dress pattern has a seam allowance of 1 cm.
make allowance for
to take into consideration when deciding etc. We've made allowance for the fact that everyone has different tastes.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.

allow

يَسْمَحُ dovolit tillade erlauben επιτρέπω permitir sallia autoriser dopustiti permettere 許す 허락하다 toestaan tillate pozwolić permitir позволять tillåta อนุญาต izin vermek cho phép 允许
Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009

allow

vt. admitir, aceptar, consentir.
English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012
References in classic literature ?
The Hunter agreed, but said: "If you desire to conquer the Stag, you must permit me to place this piece of iron between your jaws, so that I may guide you with these reins, and allow this saddle to be placed upon your back so that I may keep steady upon you as we follow after the enemy." The Horse agreed to the conditions, and the Hunter soon saddled and bridled him.
Allow him to spend the evening with you, that I may be in no danger of his returning here.
He believed that for Anna herself it would be better to break off all relations with Vronsky; but if they all thought this out of the question, he was even ready to allow these relations to be renewed, so long as the children were not disgraced, and he was not deprived of them nor forced to change his position.
But as soon as the mule was near enough to the pillory to allow of its rider recognizing the victim, the priest dropped his eyes, beat a hasty retreat, spurred on rigorously, as though in haste to rid himself of humiliating appeals, and not at all desirous of being saluted and recognized by a poor fellow in such a predicament.
What do you allow a laboring woman who works on a farm?"
He placed on duty at this point two hundred Swiss, who did not speak a word of French, with orders to admit all who carried packages, but no others; and by no means to allow any one to go out.
You know not, you can scarcely conceive, how they have tortured me; -- though it was some time, I confess, before I was reasonable enough to allow their justice."
But, of course, if I had one, my conscience would not allow me to eat it.
As to the moon, she was considerably larger; but the travelers' glasses, not very powerful, did not allow them as yet to make any useful observations upon her surface, or reconnoiter her topographically or geologically.
"My father," answered Scheherazade, "it is you who have to provide the Sultan daily with a fresh wife, and I implore you, by all the affection you bear me, to allow the honour to fall upon me."
He did not allow himself either to be hard on or punish a man, or to make things easy for or reward anyone, merely because he felt inclined to do so.
The two eldest little Knightleys were engaged to pay their grandpapa and aunt a visit of some weeks in the spring, and their papa now proposed bringing them, and staying one whole day at Hartfieldwhich one day would be the very day of this party.His professional engagements did not allow of his being put off, but both father and daughter were disturbed by its happening so.