allow
pronunciation
How to pronounce allow in British English:
UK [əˈlaʊ]
How to pronounce allow in American English:
US [əˈlaʊ]
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- Verb:
- make it possible through a specific action or lack of action for something to happen
- consent to, give permission
- let have
- give or assign a share of money or time to a particular person or cause
- make a possibility or provide opportunity for; permit to be attainable or cause to remain
- allow or plan for a certain possibility; concede the truth or validity of something
- afford possibility
- allow the other (baseball) team to score
- grant as a discount or in exchange
- allow the presence of or allow (an activity) without opposing or prohibiting
Word Origin
- allow
- allow: [14] Allow comes ultimately from two completely different Latin verbs, allaudāre and allocāre, which became blended in Old French alouer. The first, allaudāre, was based on laudāre ‘praise’ (source of English laud, laudable, and laudatory); the second, allocāre (source of English allocate [17]) on locāre ‘place’.The formal similarity of the Latin verbs gradually drew their meanings closer together. The notion of ‘placing’, and hence ‘allotting’ or ‘assigning’, developed via the now obsolete ‘place to somebody’s credit’ to ‘take into account, admit’. Meanwhile, the idea of ‘praising’ moved through ‘commending’ or ‘approving’ to ‘accepting as true or valid’, and ultimately to ‘permitting’.=> allocate, laudable, location
- allow (v.)
- early 14c., allouen, "to commend, praise; approve of, be pleased with; appreciate the value of;" also, "take into account or give credit for," also, in law and philosophy, "recognize, admit as valid" (a privilege, an excuse, a statement, etc.). From late 14c. as "sanction or permit; condone;" in business use from early 15c. The Middle English word is from Anglo-French alouer, Old French aloer, alloiier (13c.) "allot, apportion, bestow, assign," from Latin allocare (see allocate). This word in Old French was confused and ultimately merged with aloer; alloer "to praise, commend," from Latin allaudare, adlaudare, compound of ad- "to" (see ad-) + laudare "to praise" (see laud). From the first word came the sense preserved in allowance as "money granted;" from the second came its meaning "permission based on approval." Between the two primary significations there naturally arose a variety of uses blending them in the general idea of assign with approval, grant, concede a thing claimed or urged, admit a thing offered, permit, etc., etc. [OED]. Related: Allowed; allowing.
Example
- 1. The systems allow for additional functionality .
- 2. Allow yourself to weep for things you have lost .
- 3. Allow yourself to express your fears and emotions .
- 4. Allow him the space to maintain these relationships .
- 5. Existing footprinting standards already allow for some simplification .