allow for

phrasal verb

allowed for; allowing for; allows for
1
: to think about or plan for (something that will or might happen in the future)
When purchasing property, the company should allow for possible future growth/expansion.
2
: to consider (something) when one makes a calculation
The total distance, allowing for detours, is about 10 miles.
If you allow for inflation, he's actually earning less money now than he was 10 years ago.
3
: to make (something) possible
The design of the system allows for easy upgrades.

Examples of allow for in a Sentence

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Trump could also extend deadlines to allow for more talks. Danny Bakst, Fortune, 27 June 2025 This approach allows for gradual migration to fully quantum-resistant systems while enabling protection against both current and future threats. Robert Kramer, Forbes.com, 26 June 2025 Jörg Schumacher/Technische Universität Ilmenau Schumacher and his colleagues have run these visualizations on supercomputers allowing for astounding detail. IEEE Spectrum, 26 June 2025 By contrast, the relative isolation of remote work allowed for sustained focus, contributing to the higher case numbers logged from home. Gleb Tsipursky, Time, 25 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for allow for

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Cite this Entry

“Allow for.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/allow%20for. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.

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