allow

Meaning

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.
(obsolete) To praise; to approve of; hence, to sanction.
(obsolete) To sanction; to invest; to entrust.
(obsolete) 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.

allow

permit

let

grant

admit

leave

consent

approve

concede

give

agree

accord

provide

yield

afford

give permission

authorize

tolerate

release

confer

sanction

countenance

assent

acknowledge

cede

suffer

administer

pass

receive

confess

license

consent to

allot

bestow

endorse

take into account

appropriate

earmark

reserve

set aside

give up

allow for

abandon

vouchsafe

hand over

assign

deliver

render

clear

supply

donate

impart

spare

accede

acquiesce

give in

recognize

permission

award

certify

licence

give leave

let go

leave alone

tolerance

empower

present

authorise

sustain

count

say

promise

make possible

offer

cause

alight

emerge

exit

go out

quit

spend

switch on

turn on

accredit

own

legitimize

forgive

concur

approval

give a chance

surrender

dismiss

excuse

accept propitiously

have

agree with

be convinced

believe

credit

give credence to

heed

obey

drop

loosen

unfasten

close with

resign

furnish

minister

admissible

tolerance allowance

give permission for

approve of

let in

grant permission

put out

apply

cater

deal

dispense

drive home

endue

fasten

gift

indue

lend

pass on

pay

discount

adopt

applaud

approbate

honor

indorse

recognise

rule in

take

take up

undertake

abnegate

alien

alienate

attorn

capitulate

convey

deed over

demise

dispose

extradite

fork up

fork out

fork over

sign over

submit

vacate

yield up

bite out

discharge

douse

emit

exhaust

give off

liberate

make

pass off

pop

rid

spill

temper

unhand

unlock

utter

brook

brace oneself for

poise

prepare

see

rent

admit extradite

leave it be

let it be

give into

make an exception

condone

run down

issue

cancel

admission

equivalent

concession

permissive

leet

bear with

sit still

take the liberty

budge

climb down

drop back

fall back

recede

regress

step aside

walk back

castigate

food

have a chance

have time

make room for

cup

envelope

Frequency

Pronounced as (IPA)

/əˈlaʊ/

From Middle English allowen, alowen, a borrowing from Anglo-Norman allouer, alouer, from Medieval Latin allaudāre, present active infinitive of allaudō, 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.