English Meaning & Definitions
To give the necessary time or opportunity for; to permit or let happen.
- “The teacher does not allow talking during the examination.”
- “Please allow enough time to reach the airport before your flight.”
To admit or acknowledge the validity or truth of something.
- “We must allow that his argument has some merit.”
- “The court allowed the evidence to be presented.”
Comprehensive Thesaurus Breakdown
Compare formal, informal, literary synonyms and register nuances for “allow”.
Derived from the Old French 'alouer', which evolved from the Latin 'allaudare' (to praise) and 'allocare' (to place or assign). The meaning shifted from 'to praise' to 'to grant' or 'to permit' in Middle English, likely influenced by the sense of 'assigning' a portion or right to someone.
Think of 'all low': If you keep your standards 'all low', you allow almost anything to happen.
Frequently Asked Questions About “allow”
1. What is the meaning of “allow” in English?
In English, allow (verb) is defined as: “To give the necessary time or opportunity for; to permit or let happen.”.
2. How do you use “allow” in a sentence?
“The teacher does not allow talking during the examination.”
4. What is the etymology and word origin of “allow”?
Derived from the Old French 'alouer', which evolved from the Latin 'allaudare' (to praise) and 'allocare' (to place or assign). The meaning shifted from 'to praise' to 'to grant' or 'to permit' in Middle English, likely influenced by the sense of 'assigning' a portion or right to someone.
🇬🇧More English Words to English
View all English words →The base unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), equal to the duration of 9,192,631,770 periods of the radiation corresponding to the transition between the two hyperfine levels of the ground state of the caesium-133 atom.
A specific duration of time equal to one hour and forty-six minutes and twelve seconds.
The cardinal number equal to one thousand million (1,000,000,000), expressed in scientific notation as 10^9.
A specific duration of time equivalent to one hour and forty-six minutes.