allow

verb

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al·low | \ ə-ˈlau̇

allowed; allowing; allows

Definition of allow

transitive verb

1a : permit doesn't allow people to smoke in his home

b : to fail to restrain or prevent allow the dog to roam

2a : to assign as a share or suitable amount (as of time or money) allow an hour for lunch

b : to reckon as a deduction or an addition allow a gallon for leakage

3 : admit, concede must allow that money causes problems in marriage

4a chiefly Southern US and Midland US : to be of the opinion : think

b dialect : say, state

c : to express an opinion —usually used with as how or that

5 chiefly Southern US and Midland US : intend, plan

intransitive verb

1 : to make a possibility : admit —used with of evidence that allows of only one conclusion

2 : to give consideration to circumstances or contingencies —used with for a plan that allows for expansion

3 : to give an opportunity : permit She worked on the project here and there as time allowed. This should take 5 minutes for 1 strength-cardio circuit combo. If time allows, repeat once more for a 10-minute workout or twice more for a 15-minute workout.— Tracy Teare This plan is being implemented in phases as funding allows. — Waterloo-Cedar Falls (Iowa) Courier

Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More About allow

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Synonyms & Antonyms for allow

Synonyms

Antonyms

Examples of allow in a Sentence

a religion that does not allow divorce They don't allow smoking in this hotel. I want to change my schedule, but my boss won't allow it. My boss wouldn't allow me to change my schedule. They don't allow people to smoke in this hotel. Women were not allowed in the club. The hospital doesn't allow visitors after 8 p.m. Her schedule doesn't allow her any time to run errands. The system allows you to transfer data easily from one computer to another. Occasional gaps allow passage through the mountains.

Recent Examples on the Web In 2014,voters in the District approved a referendum to allow residents to grow and possess small amounts of marijuana for recreational use. — Washington Post, 16 July 2021 Tedros' appeal for transparency was echoed by German Health Minister Jens Spahn, who urged Chinese officials to allow the investigation to proceed. — Arkansas Online, 16 July 2021 The Trump administration modified the rule late last year to allow each showerhead to use the 2.5-gallon-per-minute maximum. — Michael Collins, USA TODAY, 16 July 2021 The book was widely seen as an attempt to influence Pope Francis’ decision on whether to allow the ordination of married men as priests to relieve a clergy shortage in South America’s Amazon region. — Francis X. Rocca, WSJ, 16 July 2021 Kemp also refused to allow the Senate Republicans to combine the case with a similar lawsuit filed by The Arizona Republic that seeks to obtain records directly from Cyber Ninjas. — Ryan Randazzo, The Arizona Republic, 16 July 2021 The systemic changes in the legislation are clearly written to allow officials to restrict mail-in ballot rules and ban 24-hour and drive-through voting options, which tend to favor Democrats. — James Moore, CNN, 15 July 2021 In education, this often includes understanding different students' needs and accommodating for those needs to allow a student to fully participate in school. — Olivia Krauth, The Courier-Journal, 15 July 2021 His government has also worked closely with the social media giant to allow Indians to use Twitter to seek help from government ministries, particularly during health emergencies. — Sheikh Saaliq And Krutika Pathi, The Christian Science Monitor, 15 July 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'allow.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

History and Etymology for allow

Middle English alowen, allowen "to commend, approve of, legally recognize, permit, take into account, compensate," borrowed from Anglo-French aluer, aloer "to place, allot, commend, accept as legally valid, permit, take into account, assess," probably in part from a- (going back to Latin ad- ad-) + loer "to praise," going back to Latin laudāre; in part going back to Medieval Latin allocāre "to place, admit, credit" — more at laud entry 2, allocate