allowance

noun

ə-ˈlau̇-ən(t)s How to pronounce allowance (audio)
Definition of allowancenext
1
as in portion
something belonging to, due to, or contributed by an individual member of a group as the war progressed, each family's allowance of sugar and flour was reduced

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in permission
the approval by someone in authority for the doing of something without the official allowance of the school board, no organization can hold its meetings on school property

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of allowance That's the opposite of an allowance build, which means money set aside to cover potential future losses. — Jeff Marks, CNBC, 21 July 2026 Still, Bethany says that at times the system has gone awry, particularly because in addition to allowance, her two oldest children also have access to her credit card, ostensibly for emergencies. — Erika Janes, Curbed, 17 July 2026 Suarez, who donates his salary, has proposed eliminating the car and phone allowances, highlighting substantial increases in the mayor and commission budget in recent years. — Aaron Leibowitz, Miami Herald, 14 July 2026 Officials had estimated only four bus stops would be subject to new higher-density allowances — but in SANDAG’s maps, 21 meet the criteria. — Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for allowance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for allowance
  1. portion
  2. permission
  3. share
  4. authorization
  5. part
  6. granting
  7. quota
  8. consent
Noun
  • James' decision to run for governor left open his seat in the 10th District, which includes a portion of Oakland County and stretches across conservative communities in Macomb County.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Temperatures reached at least 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) for five consecutive days in some areas in late July, the country’s longest such streak on record, and heatstroke alerts have repeatedly covered large portions of the country.
    — Yumi Asada, CNN Money, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of portion
Noun
  • The core challenge is agents' ability to exploit existing weaknesses at scale, necessitating improved governance and careful permission management.
    — Sandy Carter, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
  • If a parent denies permission, the platform will automatically revert to a chronological feed of posts shared by people the child already follows, resembling social media apps before the rise of algorithms.
    — Cayla Bamberger, New York Daily News, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of permission
Noun
  • Palantir shares, which had fallen roughly 30% this year after a blistering rally in 2025, surged more than 14% in after-hours trading Monday following the results.
    — Preston Fore, Fortune, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Amazon shares gained 4% and hit a new all-time high on Monday, putting its market cap over the $3 trillion threshold for the first time following a better-than-expected earnings report last week.
    — Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of share
Noun
  • Guadian pleaded to four counts of aiding and abetting bringing of aliens without authorization for profit, federal court records show.
    — Natassia Paloma, USA Today, 30 July 2026
  • Without authorization, foreign robot makers have essentially no market access.
    — John Koetsier, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
Definition of authorization
Noun
  • In the neighborhood, which is actually the oldest part of Prague, there are mostly residential buildings, embassies, and local offices.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Aug. 2026
  • And Art the Clown’s mime-of-mayhem harlequin ghoulishness is part of the extremity.
    — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of part
Noun
  • Getty Images The granting of a UPEPA special motion to strike means that the plaintiff's complaint was without substantial factual or legal support.
    — Jay Adkisson, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026
  • But without an objective yardstick, two police officers can review the same file and make opposite decisions about the granting of a license.
    — George A. Mocsary, The Conversation, 7 July 2026
Definition of granting
Noun
  • There’s a quota on these permits, so local professional help is advised.
    — William P. Barrett, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
  • The Financial Times reported Wednesday that Ferrari aimed to sell ⁠just under 500 units of the Luce ​model this year, and the quota was ​filled in less than two months after the car’s May 25 launch.
    — Michael Wayland, CNBC, 30 July 2026
Definition of quota
Noun
  • The data reaches only people who use cards and apps, and the hardest barriers are consent, privacy law and access to records held by companies rather than health agencies.
    — John Drake, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
  • In social media posts, Wilson claimed the producers initially withheld consent to show the film at the Toronto International Film Festival to retaliate against her for drawing attention to their bad behavior.
    — Hilary Whiteman, CNN Money, 22 July 2026
Definition of consent

Browse Nearby Words

allowable
allowance
allowances
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Allowance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/allowance. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on allowance

Nglish: Translation of allowance for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

How long is a jiffy?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All