/euh low"/ , v.t.
1. to give permission to or for; permit: to allow a student to be absent; No swimming allowed.
2. to let have; give as one's share; grant as one's right: to allow a person $100 for expenses.
3. to permit by neglect, oversight, or the like: to allow a door to remain open.
4. to admit; acknowledge; concede: to allow a claim.
5. to take into consideration, as by adding or subtracting; set apart: to allow an hour for changing trains.
6. Older Use. to say; think.
7. Archaic. to approve; sanction.
v.i.
8. to permit something to happen or to exist; admit (often fol. by of ): to spend more than one's budget allows; a premise that allows of only one conclusion.
9. allow for , to make concession or provision for: to allow for breakage.
[ 1250-1300; ME alowen al ( l ) o ( u ) er to place, allot, allow, OF aloer to place allocare; see AL-, LOCUS; the older sense "approve, sanction" and ME sense "praise" prob. by taking the AF v. as repr. ML, L adlaudare to praise; see AD-, LAUD ]
Syn. 1. ALLOW, LET, PERMIT imply granting or conceding the right of someone to do something. ALLOW and PERMIT are often interchangeable, but PERMIT is the more positive. ALLOW implies complete absence of an attempt, or even an intent, to hinder. PERMIT suggests formal or implied assent or authorization. LET is the familiar, conversational term for both ALLOW and PERMIT.
Ant. 1. forbid, prohibit.