disallow

verb

dis·​al·​low ˌdis-ə-ˈlau̇ 

disallowed; disallowing; disallows

transitive verb

1

: to deny the force, truth, or validity of

2

: to refuse to allow

disallowance

ˌdis-ə-ˈlau̇-ən(t)s 

noun

Synonyms of disallow

• deny
• reject
• refute

Examples of disallow in a Sentence

The touchdown was disallowed because of a penalty.

disallowing the philosophical concept of free will

Recent Examples on the Web

Beyond mashups, how should a model like Claude ensure there’s a difference between a direct re-creation of Tetris (ostensibly disallowed by the new prompt) and a mere game in the Tetris genre (ostensibly allowed by the prompt)? — Kyle Orland, ArsTechnica, 2 Nov. 2026

Other common violations include washing cars at home, filling pools and power washing, which are all disallowed. — Nick Sullivan, Charlotte Observer, 24 Oct. 2026

According to its June 30, 2026 petition, the IRS disallowed several million dollars in business deductions. — Carolyn Schenck, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026

Roope Hintz scored in the fourth round of the shootout and the Dallas Stars beat Colorado 3-2 on Wednesday night in a game where the Avalanche had two early goals disallowed. — ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for disallow

• anyhow
• carabao
• disavow
• allow
• avow
• chiao
• endow
• eyebrow
• highbrow
• lanao
• meow
• powwow

Kids Definition

disallow

verb

dis·​al·​low ˌdis-ə-ˈlau̇ 

: to refuse to admit or allow : reject

disallow a claim

disallowance

-ˈlau̇-ən(t)s 

noun

Legal Definition

disallow

transitive verb

dis·​al·​low ˌdi-sə-ˈlau̇ 

1

: to deny the truth, force, or validity of

disallowed the deduction

disallow a bankruptcy claim

2

: to refuse to allow

disallow payment of benefits

disallowance noun