Meanings
present singular third person allows · participle present allowing · participle past allowed · past allowed · first person past singular allowed · archaic present second person singular allowest · past second person singular allowed · archaic past second person singular allowedst · present singular third person allows · archaic present singular third person alloweth · past singular third person allowed · past plural allowed · past subjunctive allowed · participle present allowing · participle past allowed
- ditransitiveTo let one have as a suitable share of something.
to allow a servant his liberty; to allow a free passage; to allow one day for rest
1 more example
[…] he needed a great deal of money, but his uncle only allowed him two thousand roubles a year, which was not enough, and for days together he would run about Moscow with his tongue out, as the saying is.
2004 [1895], Constance, transl. Garnett, “Ariadne”, in The Darling: and Other Stories, translation of original by Anton ChekhovSynonyms: grant, admit, afford, yield, give, permit, allot, bestow
- intransitiveTo present something as possible or reasonable.
The event allows of only one interpretation.
- catenativetransitiveTo permit, to give permission to.
I will allow my son to be absent.
1 more example
With fresh material, taxonomic conclusions are leavened by recognition that the material examined reflects the site it occupied; a herbarium packet gives one only a small fraction of the data desirable for sound conclusions. Herbarium material does not, indeed, allow one to extrapolate safely: what you see is what you get[…]
1992, Rudolf M[athias] Schuster, The Hepaticae and Anthocerotae of North America: East of the Hundredth Meridian, volume V, Chicago, Ill.: Field Museum of Natural History, →ISBN, page viiSynonyms: permit, let, grant licence to, consent, grant
- To not bar or obstruct.
Smoking (is) allowed only in designated areas.
2 more examples
Although I don't consent to their holding such meetings, I will allow them for the time being.
The use of algorithms in policing is one example of their increasing influence on our lives. And, as their ubiquity spreads, so too does the debate around whether we should allow ourselves to become so reliant on them – and who, if anyone, is policing their use.
2013 July 26, Leo Hickman, “How algorithms rule the world”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 7, page 26 - transitiveTo acknowledge, accept the truth of; to concede; to accede to an opinion; to say something one agrees on in the context of a larger disagreement or reluctance.
to allow a right; to allow a claim; to allow an appeal
5 more examples
You must allow that disagreeing about politics puts a strain on a relationship.
"Well, that rug does match the wallpaper," he allowed.
Mr. Knightley, I shall not allow you to be a fair judge in this case.
1815, Jane Austen, chapter 5, in Emma, volume 1I allow, with Mrs. Grundy and most moralists, that Miss Newcome's conduct[…]was highly reprehensible.
1855, William Makepeace Thackeray, The NewcomesHalf the night passed before the wench allowed that it might be safe to stop.
2000 August 8, George R[aymond] R[ichard] Martin, “Jaime [Lannister]”, in A Storm of Swords (A Song of Ice and Fire; 3), London: Voyager, →ISBN, page 127 - transitiveTo render physically possible.
The inlet allowed a facility to bring the money in a boat secretly and at night to the very foot of the hill.
1824, Washington Irving, “The Devil and Tom Walker”, in Tales of a Traveller1 more example
A “moving platform” scheme[…]is more technologically ambitious than maglev trains even though it relies on conventional rails. Local trains would use side-by-side rails to roll alongside intercity trains and allow passengers to switch trains by stepping through docking bays.
2013 June 1, “Ideas coming down the track”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8838, page 13 (Technology Quarterly) - obsoletetransitiveTo praise; to approve of; hence, to sanction.
Truly ye bear witness that ye allow the deeds of your fathers
1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Luke 11:481 more example
We commend his pains, condemn his pride, allow his life, approve his learning.
1842, Thomas Fuller, Church History of Britain - obsoleteTo sanction; to invest; to entrust.
1 more example
Therefore so please thee to return with us, And of our Athens—thine and ours—to take The captainship, thou shalt be met with thanks, Allow'd with absolute power, and thy good name Live with authority. So soon we shall drive back Of Alcibiades the approaches wild, Who, like a boar too savage, doth root up His country's peace.
1623, William Shakespeare, The Life of Timon of Athens - obsoletetransitiveTo like; to be suited or pleased with.
How allow you the model of these clothes?
1632, Philip Massinger, Nathan Field, The Fatal Dowry, act 4, scene 1 - transitivelawTo decide (a request) in favour of the party who raised it; to grant victory to a party regarding (a request).
to allow an appeal
to decide the appeal in favour of the appellant (contrast grant leave to appeal, to permit an appeal to be heard)
1 more example
to allow an objection
to find in favour of the objection and forbid the conduct objected to
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTo let one have as a suitable share of something.
verbTo acknowledge, accept the truth of; to concede; to accede to an opinion; to say something one agrees on in the context of a larger disagreement or reluctance.
More synonyms by meaning
verbmake it possible through a specific action or lack of action for something to happen
verbconsent to, give permission; permit
verbgive or assign a resource to a particular person or cause
verbmake a possibility or provide opportunity for; permit to be attainable or cause to remain
verballow or plan for a certain possibility; concede the truth or validity of something
verballow the presence of or allow (an activity) without opposing or prohibiting
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂éd
- Proto-Italic*ad
- Proto-Italic*ad-
- Latinad-
- Latinlaus
- Latinlaudō
- Latinallaudō
- Old Frenchaloer
- Latinad-
- Proto-Indo-European*stel-der.?
- Proto-Italic*s(t)lokos
- Old Latinstlocus
- Latinlocus
- Latinlocō
- Latinallocō
- Old Frenchaloer
- Anglo-Normanalouer
- Middle Englishallowen
- Englishallow
From Middle English allowen, alowen, a borrowing from Anglo-Norman allouer, alouer, from Medieval Latin allaudāre, merged with alouer, from Medieval Latin allocō (“to assign”). Doublet of allaud (via allaudāre) or allocate (via allocāre). The similarity with Middle English alyfen (from Old English ālīefan) and German erlauben, both from Proto-Germanic *uzlaubijaną (“to allow”), is coincidental.
More words from Middle English, Anglo-Norman, Medieval Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans toelaat, toelaat
- toelaatto let one have
- toelaatto give permission
- toelaatto not bar or obstruct
- aanvaarto acknowledge the truth of
Ancient Greek ἐάω, δῐ́δωμῐ
- ἐάω (eáō)to let one have
- δῐ́δωμῐ (dĭ́dōmĭ)to let one have
Arabic سَمَحَ, أَذِنَ
- سَمَحَ (samaḥa)to let one have
- أَذِنَ (ʔaḏina)to let one have
- سَمَحَ بِـ (samaḥa bi-)to give permission
- سَمَحَ (samaḥa)to give permission
Bulgarian позволя́вам, дава́м
- позволя́вам (pozvoljávam)to let one have
- дава́м (davám)to let one have
- позволявам (pozvoljavam)to give permission
- разрешавам (razrešavam)to give permission
- позволявам (pozvoljavam)to not bar or obstruct
- допускам (dopuskam)to not bar or obstruct
- признавам (priznavam)to acknowledge the truth of
Catalan deixar, permetre
- deixarto let one have
- permetreto give permission
Chinese Mandarin 讓 /让, 允許 /允许
- 讓 /让 (ràng)to let one have
- 允許 /允许 (yǔnxǔ)to let one have
Czech dovolovat, dovolit
- dovolovatto let one have
- dovolitto let one have
- povolovatto let one have
- povolitto let one have
- dovolitto give permission
- povolitto give permission
Danish tillade, tillade
- tilladeto let one have
- tilladeto give permission
- tilladeto not bar or obstruct
- acceptereto acknowledge the truth of
- tilladeto make allowance
Dutch toelaten, toestaan
- toelatento let one have
- toestaanto let one have
- toelatento give permission
- toestaanto give permission
- toestaanto not bar or obstruct
- toegevento acknowledge the truth of
Esperanto allasi, permesi
- allasito give permission
- permesito give permission
Estonian lubama
- lubamato let one have
Finnish sallia, myöntää
- salliato let one have
- myöntääto let one have
- salliato give permission
- antaa lupato give permission
- salliato not bar or obstruct
- myöntääto acknowledge the truth of
- hyväksyäto acknowledge the truth of
- varautuato grant as a deduction or an addition
- tehdä varausto grant as a deduction or an addition
- varatato make allowance
- tehdä varausto make allowance
- antaa alennusto make allowance
French laisser, accorder
- laisserto let one have
- accorderto let one have
- permettreto give permission
- laisserto not bar or obstruct
- permettreto not bar or obstruct
German erlauben, gestatten
- erlaubento let one have
- gestattento let one have
- erlaubento give permission
- erlaubento not bar or obstruct
- eingestehento acknowledge the truth of
- einpreisento grant as a deduction or an addition
- einkalkulierento grant as a deduction or an addition
- berücksichtigento make allowance
- einkalkulierento make allowance
- ermöglichento render physically possible
Greek παραχωρώ, χορηγώ
- παραχωρώ (parachoró)to let one have
- χορηγώ (chorigó)to let one have
- παρέχω (parécho)to let one have
- επιτρέπω (epitrépo)to give permission
- αφήνω (afíno)to give permission
- παραδέχομαι (paradéchomai)to not bar or obstruct
- παραδέχομαι (paradéchomai)to acknowledge the truth of
- αναγνωρίζω (anagnorízo)to acknowledge the truth of
- επιτρέπω (epitrépo)to make allowance
Hebrew הרשה, התיר
- הרשה (hirshá)to let one have
- התיר (hitír)to let one have
- אישר (ishér)to let one have
- אישר (ishér)to give permission
- אפשר (ifshér)to not bar or obstruct
- הכיר באפשרות (hikír baefsharút)to acknowledge the truth of
- אפשר (ifshér)to render physically possible
Hindi इजाज़त देना
- इजाज़त देना (ijāzat denā)to let one have
Hungarian enged, engedélyez
- engedto let one have
- engedélyezto give permission
- megengedto give permission
- engedto not bar or obstruct
- hagyto not bar or obstruct
- elfogadto acknowledge the truth of
- engedto grant as a deduction or an addition
- hagyto make allowance
- ráhagyto make allowance
- számolto make allowance
- szánto make allowance
- lehetővé teszto render physically possible
Icelandic leyfa, leyfa
- leyfato let one have
- leyfato not bar or obstruct
- viðurkennato acknowledge the truth of
Irish tabhair, lig do
- tabhairto let one have
- lig doto give permission
- ceadaighto give permission
- tabhair cead doto give permission
- ceadaighto not bar or obstruct
- admhaighto acknowledge the truth of
Italian lasciare, permettere
- lasciareto let one have
- permettereto let one have
- permettereto give permission
- consentireto give permission
- permettereto not bar or obstruct
- concedereto not bar or obstruct
- concedereto acknowledge the truth of
Japanese 許す, 認める
- 許す (yurusu)to let one have
- 認める (mitomeru)to let one have
- 許可する (kyoka suru)to let one have
- 容認する (yōnin suru)to let one have
- 許す (yurusu)to give permission
- 許可する (kyoka suru)to give permission
- 許す (yurusu)to not bar or obstruct
Korean 허락하다
- 허락하다 (heorakhada)to let one have
Latin sinō, condōnō
- sinōto let one have
- condōnōto let one have
- sinōto give permission
- cēdōto give permission
Latvian ļaut
- ļautto let one have
Malay membenarkan
- membenarkanto let one have
Māori tuku, tuku
- tukuto let one have
- tukuto give permission
- tukuto not bar or obstruct
Norwegian tillate, tillate
- tillateto let one have
- tillateto give permission
Persian اجازه دادن
- اجازه دادن (ejâze dâdan)to let one have
Polish pozwalać, pozwolić
- pozwalaćto let one have
- pozwolićto let one have
- pozwolićto give permission
- zezwolićto give permission
- przyznaćto not bar or obstruct
- przyznaćto acknowledge the truth of
- wziąć pod uwagęto grant as a deduction or an addition
- wziąć pod uwagęto make allowance
Portuguese deixar, permitir
- deixarto let one have
- permitirto let one have
- permitirto give permission
- permitirto not bar or obstruct
- aceitarto acknowledge the truth of
- considerarto grant as a deduction or an addition
- permitirto make allowance
Romanian lăsa, acorda
- lăsato let one have
- acordato let one have
- permiteto let one have
- admiteto let one have
- permiteto give permission
- îngăduito give permission
- admiteto not bar or obstruct
Russian позволя́ть, позво́лить
- позволя́ть (pozvoljátʹ)to let one have
- позво́лить (pozvólitʹ)to let one have
- разреша́ть (razrešátʹ)to let one have
- разреши́ть (razrešítʹ)to let one have
- позволя́ть (pozvoljátʹ)to give permission
- позво́лить (pozvólitʹ)to give permission
- разреша́ть (razrešátʹ)to give permission
- разреши́ть (razrešítʹ)to give permission
- позволя́ть (pozvoljátʹ)to not bar or obstruct
- позво́лить (pozvólitʹ)to not bar or obstruct
- допуска́ть (dopuskátʹ)to not bar or obstruct
- допусти́ть (dopustítʹ)to not bar or obstruct
Scottish Gaelic leig le, leig le
- leig leto give permission
- leig leto not bar or obstruct
Slovak dovoliť, povoliť
- dovoliťto let one have
- povoliťto let one have
Swahili -ruhusu, -kubalia
- -ruhusuto let one have
- -kubaliato let one have
- -kubaliato give permission
- -ruhusuto not bar or obstruct
- -tambuato acknowledge the truth of
Swedish tillåta
- tillåtato give permission
Tagalog hayaan
- hayaanto give permission
Tamil அனுமதி
- அனுமதி (aṉumati)to give permission
Thai อนุญาต, ให้
- อนุญาต (à-nú-yâat)to let one have
- ให้ (hâi)to let one have
- ยอม (yɔɔm)to let one have
Ukrainian дозволя́ти, дозво́лити
- дозволя́ти (dozvoljáty)to let one have
- дозво́лити (dozvólyty)to let one have
- дозволя́ти (dozvoljáty)to give permission
- дозво́лити (dozvólyty)to give permission
- дозволя́ти (dozvoljáty)to not bar or obstruct
- дозво́лити (dozvólyty)to not bar or obstruct
- допуска́ти (dopuskáty)to not bar or obstruct
- допусти́ти (dopustýty)to not bar or obstruct
- визнава́ти (vyznaváty)to acknowledge the truth of
- ви́знати (význaty)to acknowledge the truth of
- врахо́вувати (vraxóvuvaty)to grant as a deduction or an addition
- врахува́ти (vraxuváty)to grant as a deduction or an addition
Urdu اجازت دینا
- اجازت دینا (ijāzat denā)to let one have
Vietnamese cho phép, cho phép
- cho phépto let one have
- cho phépto give permission
- cấp phépto give permission
- choto give permission
Welsh caniatáu, caniatáu
- caniatáuto let one have
- caniatáuto give permission
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with allow
All rhymes →Cite this entry
allow. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/allow
“allow.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/allow. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “allow,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/allow.
Source: allow on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.