allowable

adjective

al·​low·​able ə-ˈlau̇-ə-bəl How to pronounce allowable (audio)
: permissible
allowable income tax deductions
allowably adverb

Examples of allowable in a Sentence

international travel without a passport isn't allowable
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
City officials encourage motorists at unmarked intersections to measure the allowable distance in terms of vehicle size. Ashley MacKin Solomon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Sep. 2025 Understanding what the agent can do, to establish the parameters for allowable transactions. David G.w. Birch, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025 Huddlestun said the business that goes there could be anything allowable on M-1. Deborah Laverty, Chicago Tribune, 23 Aug. 2025 One leak measured 31 times more than the allowable threshold, and another was 23 times the allowable threshold, the district said. Rick Hurd, Mercury News, 15 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for allowable

Word History

Etymology

Middle English alowable, allowable "proper, admissible," borrowed from Anglo-French alouable, from aluer, aloer "to accept as legally valid, permit" + -able -able — more at allow

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of allowable was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Allowable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/allowable. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

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