ALLOW

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does allow mean? 

• ALLOW (verb)
  The verb ALLOW has 10 senses:

1. make it possible through a specific action or lack of action for something to happen

2. consent to, give permission

3. let have

4. give or assign a resource to a particular person or cause

5. make a possibility or provide opportunity for; permit to be attainable or cause to remain

6. allow or plan for a certain possibility; concede the truth or validity of something

7. afford possibility

8. allow the other (baseball) team to score

9. grant as a discount or in exchange

10. allow the presence of or allow (an activity) without opposing or prohibiting

  Familiarity information: ALLOW used as a verb is familiar.

 Dictionary entry details 

• ALLOW (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they allow    ... he / she / it allows   
Past simple: allowed   
Past participle: allowed   
-ing form: allowing   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Make it possible through a specific action or lack of action for something to happen

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Synonyms:

allow; let; permit

Context example:

This will permit the rain to run off

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "allow"):

pass (allow to go without comment or censure)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody INFINITIVE
Something ----s INFINITIVE

Sense 2

Meaning:

Consent to, give permission

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

allow; countenance; let; permit

Context example:

I cannot allow you to see your exam

Hypernyms (to "allow" is one way to...):

accept; consent; go for (give an affirmative reply to; respond favorably to)

Verb group:

allow; grant (let have)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "allow"):

abide; bear; brook; digest; endure; put up; stand; stick out; stomach; suffer; support; tolerate (put up with something or somebody unpleasant)

furlough (grant a leave to)

give (allow to have or take)

allow; permit; tolerate (allow the presence of or allow (an activity) without opposing or prohibiting)

authorise; authorize; clear; pass (grant authorization or clearance for)

admit; include; let in (allow participation in or the right to be part of; permit to exercise the rights, functions, and responsibilities of)

favor; favour; privilege (bestow a privilege upon)

decriminalise; decriminalize; legalise; legalize; legitimate; legitimatise; legitimatize; legitimise; legitimize (make legal)

trust (allow without fear)

admit; allow in; intromit; let in (allow to enter; grant entry to)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody to INFINITIVE

Sentence example:

They allow him to write the letter

Antonym:

disallow (command against)

Derivation:

allowable (deserving to be allowed or considered)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Let have

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Synonyms:

allow; grant

Context example:

Mandela was allowed few visitors in prison

Hypernyms (to "allow" is one way to...):

give (transfer possession of something concrete or abstract to somebody)

Verb group:

allow; countenance; let; permit (consent to, give permission)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "allow"):

vouchsafe (grant in a condescending manner)

allowance (put on a fixed allowance, as of food)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody something

Antonym:

deny (refuse to let have)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Give or assign a resource to a particular person or cause

Classified under:

Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting

Synonyms:

allow; appropriate; earmark; reserve; set aside

Context example:

She sets aside time for meditation every day

Hypernyms (to "allow" is one way to...):

allot; assign; portion (give out)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s something to somebody

Derivation:

allowance (an amount allowed or granted (as during a given period))

Sense 5

Meaning:

Make a possibility or provide opportunity for; permit to be attainable or cause to remain

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Synonyms:

allow; allow for; leave; provide

Context example:

This procedure provides for lots of leeway

Hypernyms (to "allow" is one way to...):

afford; give; yield (be the cause or source of)

Verb group:

admit; allow (afford possibility)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Sense 6

Meaning:

Allow or plan for a certain possibility; concede the truth or validity of something

Classified under:

Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting

Synonyms:

allow; take into account

Context example:

The seamstress planned for 5% shrinkage after the first wash

Hypernyms (to "allow" is one way to...):

calculate; count on; estimate; figure; forecast; reckon (judge to be probable)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "allow"):

budget for (calculate enough money for; provide for in the budget)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody to INFINITIVE

Derivation:

allowable (deserving to be allowed or considered)

Sense 7

Meaning:

Afford possibility

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Synonyms:

admit; allow

Context example:

This short story allows of several different interpretations

Verb group:

allow; allow for; leave; provide (make a possibility or provide opportunity for; permit to be attainable or cause to remain)

Sentence frame:

Something is ----ing PP

Derivation:

allowable (deserving to be allowed or considered)

Sense 8

Meaning:

Allow the other (baseball) team to score

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Synonyms:

allow; give up

Context example:

give up a run

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 9

Meaning:

Grant as a discount or in exchange

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Context example:

The camera store owner allowed me $50 on my old camera

Hypernyms (to "allow" is one way to...):

discount (give a reduction in price on)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody something

Sense 10

Meaning:

Allow the presence of or allow (an activity) without opposing or prohibiting

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

allow; permit; tolerate

Context example:

We cannot tolerate smoking in the hospital

Hypernyms (to "allow" is one way to...):

allow; countenance; let; permit (consent to, give permission)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody

Derivation:

allowance (the act of allowing)

allowance (a permissible difference; allowing some freedom to move within limits)

 Context examples 

Production of IL-12 is controlled by an inducible DNA element that allows transcription initiation only in the presence of the ligand inducer INXN-1001.

(Adenoviral Transduced hIL-12-expressing Autologous Dendritic Cells INXN-3001 Plus Activator Ligand INXN-1001, NCI Thesaurus)

A moment was allowed for the first thrill to subside, then Hugo, the villain, stalked in with a clanking sword at his side, a slouching hat, black beard, mysterious cloak, and the boots.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

Production of IL-12 is controlled by an inducible DNA element that allows transcription initiation only in the presence of the ligand inducer.

(Adenovirus-mediated Human Interleukin-12 INXN-2001 Plus Activator Ligand INXN-1001, NCI Thesaurus)

Then the lump of basalt was fastened to the thongs, and the rope was allowed to hang from the end of it, being passed three times round the Professor's arm.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

I could join with Diana and Mary in all their occupations; converse with them as much as they wished, and aid them when and where they would allow me.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

The condition of being allowed to enter; the activity of admitting someone to something.

(Admission, NCI Thesaurus)

If they partly block your intestines, a diet low in fiber can allow food to move easily through the affected area.

(Adhesions, NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)

SSTR2 expression allows imaging of gene transfer into tumor cells using a radiolabeled somatostatin analogue.

(Ad5.SSTR/TK.RGD, NCI Thesaurus)

Wave-1 is held in an inactive complex in the cytosol that is activated to allow Wave-1 to associate with Arp2/3.

(Actin Branching Pathway, NCI Thesaurus/BIOCARTA)

In a few hours the examination would commence, and he was still in the dilemma between making the facts public and allowing the culprit to compete for the valuable scholarship.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)