From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishallowal‧low /əˈlaʊ/ ●●● S1 W1 verb [transitive] 1 LET/ALLOWcan do something to let someone do or have something, or let something happen SYN permitallow somebody to do something My parents wouldn’t allow me to go to the party. Students are not allowed to eat in class.something is allowed (=something is officially permitted) Are dictionaries allowed in the exam?allow somebody something Passengers are allowed one item of hand luggage each. How much time are we allowed?allow yourself something He allowed himself the occasional glass of wine.allow something We don’t allow diving in the pool.allow somebody in/out/up etc I don’t allow the cat in the bedroom. The audience is not allowed backstage.somebody should be allowed to do something Students should be allowed to make their own decisions. allow something to do something Don’t allow your problems to dominate your life.2 LET/ALLOWmake something possible to make it possible for something to happen or for someone to do something, especially something helpful or useful SYN permitallow for something Our new system will allow for more efficient use of resources.allow somebody to do something A 24-hour ceasefire allowed the two armies to reach an agreement.allow somebody something a seat belt that allows the driver greater freedom of movementallow something This adjustment of the figures allows a fairer comparison.3 ENOUGHhave enough of something to be sure that you have enough time, money, food etc available for a particular purposeallow somebody something Allow yourselves plenty of time to get to the airport.allow something for somebody/something I’ve allowed half a bottle of wine for each person.4 LET/ALLOWcorrect/permitted formal to accept that something is correct or true, or that something is acceptable according to the rules or law The judge allowed the evidence.allow that I allow that there may have been a mistake.5 → allow me → let1, forbid(1)GRAMMAR: Comparisonallow• You allow someone to do something: Her boss allows her to work from home.• Something is allowed: Working from home is allowed.Allow is often used in the passive.let• You let someone do something: Her boss lets her work from home. ✗Don’t say: let someone to do somethingLet is not used in the passive.permit• Something is permitted: Working from home is permitted.• Someone is permitted to do something: Employees are permitted to work from home.Permit is usually used in the passive.THESAURUSallow to say that someone can do something – used about parents, teachers, or people in authorityThey don’t allow students to chew gum in the classroom. I’m not allowed to stay out after ten o'clock.let [not in passive] to allow someone to do something. Let is not used in the passive, and is much more commonly used in everyday English than allowWill your mum let you come to the party?I’ll borrow John’s bicycle, if he’ll let me.permit formal if something is permitted, it is allowed according to the rules – used especially on written notices and announcementsSmoking is not permitted anywhere in the building.give somebody permission used when someone in an important official position decides to allow someone to do somethingHe was given special permission to leave school early.The Home Office has given him permission to stay in Britain indefinitely.give your consent to say that you will allow someone to do something that will affect you personally, or a member of your family, when you have a legal right to say ‘no’Her parents have given their consent to the marriage.You can’t build on someone’s land without the owner’s consent.give something the go-ahead to officially allow a planned project or activity to happenThe government finally gave the go-ahead for a new terminal at Heathrow airport.A new nuclear plant has been given the go-ahead.authorize to officially or legally allow someone to do something – used about laws or peopleThe UN resolution would authorize the use of force.I never authorized them to give information about me to other banks.entitle to give someone the right to do or have somethingThe pass entitles you to travel on any bus, at any time, in Norwich.If the goods are faulty, the customer is entitled to a refund. sanction formal to give official approval and support for somethingThe Truman administration refused to sanction a military attack.The advertisements were sanctioned by the candidate himself. → allow for somebody/something → allow of something→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
allow• The manager doesn't allow children in the bar.• He knows the Treasury does not allow departments to earmark tax revenues.• We do not allow eating in the classrooms.• Paul's bank now allows him £35 a week, and Geoff can withdraw no more than £40.• He spent more than ten days in the neurology unit at Glasgow's Southern General before being allowed home.• She has been allowed out now to visit her family because she has just married off her only daughter.• We do not allow people to smoke anywhere in the building.• Our apartment complex does not allow pets.• Most colleges will allow students to change their subject choices in the early weeks of an academic session.• Under federal law, Indian nations are allowed to operate casinos on their reservations, with the state's permission.• We allow visitor play on Tuesdays and Thursdays.• At least one of the new filter starting bacteria mixes claims to allow you to start your tank fully stocked.something is allowed• We can see then, that deregulation is allowed, but that limits are placed upon it.• What a disgrace that this is allowed in our city.• Smoking is allowed only inside vehicles, and the smokes must be extinguished inside those vehicles.• Just because one has insurance does not mean one is allowed to make a claim.• She is not allowed to make diagnoses, initiate drug treatment, or certify death.• No shareholder is allowed to own more than a tenth of the company.• A map has been produced to show exactly what level of decibels the music in each street is allowed to reach.• Just one version is allowed to remain within a species, whatever happens when different species are compared.allow somebody to do something• How could they allow the state to build a prison so close to our neighborhood?• A 24-hour ceasefire allowed the two armies to reach a solution to the conflict.allow that• We should not allow that, because that would be a contempt of democracy.• But we would hardly allow that Henry knows 2.• If we allow that logic then, the time must be approaching that the guy taking credit must now accept the blame.• He allowed that others had proposed the Roman synod and the revision of the Code of Canon Law.• What reason could we produce to allow that she may have the capacity to act autonomously while denying her the capacity-to-act-autonomously?• Neoclassicism allowed that some offenders were less guilty than others because they were less responsible.• I allow that there may have been a mistake.• I felt I had failed them and this was too important a job to allow that to happen again.From Longman Business Dictionaryallowal‧low /əˈlaʊ/ verb [transitive]1ACCOUNTING when the tax authorities allow an amount, cost, or expense, they permit it not to be counted as part of income or profitsYou’re allowed a certain amount a year in personal allowances, before you have to pay any tax.2allow a claim to decide that an amount of money claimed for insurance, damages etc is correct and should be paidThe judge allowed claims against the company involving unpaid dividends and disallowed others. → allow for something→ See Verb tableOrigin allow (1300-1400) Old French allouer, from Medieval Latin allocare ( → ALLOCATE) and from Latin adlaudare, from ad- “to” + laudare “to praise” 