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.

permit

yield

give permission

consent to

make possible

give leave

grant permission

endue

give credence to

have a chance

give a chance

give into

accept propitiously

brace oneself for

tolerance allowance

fork up

make an exception

admit extradite

bite out

close with

deed over

give permission for

be convinced

approve of

make room for

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.