allow

Verb

Verb Forms: allowed, allowing, allows

To permit or let happen; to not prevent.
make it possible through a specific action or lack of action for something to happen
- "This sealed door won't allow the water come into the basement"
consent to, give permission
- "I cannot allow you to see your exam"
let have
- "Mandela was allowed few visitors in prison"
give or assign a resource to a particular person or cause
make a possibility or provide opportunity for; permit to be attainable or cause to remain
- "The evidence allows only one conclusion"
- "allow for mistakes"
allow or plan for a certain possibility; concede the truth or validity of something
- "I allow for this possibility"
afford possibility
- "This short story allows of several different interpretations"
allow the other (baseball) team to score
grant as a discount or in exchange
- "The camera store owner allowed me $50 on my old camera"
allow the presence of or allow (an activity) without opposing or prohibiting
- "We don't allow dogs here"
To let one have as a suitable share of something.
To permit, to give permission to.
To not bar or obstruct.
To acknowledge, accept the truth of; to concede; to accede to an opinion.
To grant (something) as a deduction or an addition; especially to abate or deduct.
To make an allowance, to take into account when making plans.
To render physically possible.
To praise; to approve of; hence, to sanction.
To sanction; to invest; to entrust.
To like; to be suited or pleased with.
To decide (a request) in favour of the party who raised it; to grant victory to a party regarding (a request).
To forgo bothering with, to let slide.

Examples

Although I don't consent to their holding such meetings, I will allow them for the time being.
Don’t allow your opponent to score on that triple word space.
I will allow my son to be absent.
Smoking (is) allowed only in designated areas.
to allow a right; to allow a claim; to allow an appeal
to allow a servant his liberty; to allow a free passage; to allow one day for rest
to allow a sum for leakage
to allow an appeal
to allow an objection
When calculating a budget for a construction project, always allow for contingencies.
You must allow that disagreeing about politics puts a strain on a relationship.

Origin / Etymology

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.

Synonyms

admit, allow for, appropriate, countenance, earmark, give up, grant, leave, let, permit, provide, reserve, set aside, take into account, tolerate, accede, acquiesce, afford, allot, bestow, concede, consent, give, grant licence to, suffer, yield

Antonyms

deny, disallow, forbid, prevent, ban, prohibit

Scrabble Score: 8

allow: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Word
allow: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
allow: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 10

allow: valid Words With Friends Word