allow

allow
allow (v.) early 14c., "to commend or praise;" late 14c., "recognize or admit" (a privilege, excuse, etc.) as valid; "sanction, permit;" early 15c., "take into account or give credit for" (of business matters), from Anglo-Fr. alouer, O.Fr. aloer (13c.) "allot, apportion," from L. allaudare, compound of ad- "to" (see AD- (Cf. ad-)) + laudare "to praise;" the Old French word was confused and merged with alouer "assign," from L. allocare (see ALLOCATE (Cf. allocate)). From the first word came the sense "permission based on approval," from the second the meaning preserved in ALLOWANCE (Cf. allowance). Related: ALLOWED (Cf. Allowed); allowing.

Etymology dictionary. 2014.

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  • allow — al‧low [əˈlaʊ] verb [transitive] 1. ACCOUNTING when the tax authorities allow an amount, cost, or expense, they permit it not to be counted as part of income or profits: • You re allowed a certain amount a year in personal allowances, before you… …   Financial and business terms

  • Allow — Al*low , v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Allowed}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Allowing}.] [OE. alouen, OF. alouer, aloer, aluer, F. allouer, fr. LL. allocare to admit as proved, to place, use; confused with OF. aloer, fr. L. allaudare to extol; ad + laudare to praise …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • allow — al·low /ə lau̇/ vt: to give approval of or permission for: as a: to grant fulfillment of allow ed her petition for relief b: to decide in favor of allow a deduction on a tax return c: to permit to be presented …   Law dictionary

  • allow — 1. This verb matches admit in having a wide range of common uses, transitive and intransitive, with that clauses, and with an infinitive complement. For several centuries it has alternated in many meanings with the phrasal verb allow of; some of… …   Modern English usage

  • allow — [ə lou′] vt. [ME alowen < OFr alouer < ML allocare, ALLOCATE; assoc. with OFr alouer < L allaudare, to extol < ad , to + laudare, to praise] 1. to let do, happen, etc.; permit; let [we weren t allowed to go] 2. to let have [she… …   English World dictionary

  • allow — [v1] admit; acknowledge acquiesce, avow, concede, confess, grant, let on, own; concepts 60,82 Ant. deny, refuse, reject allow [v2] permit an action accord, accredit, admit, approve, authorize, bear, be big*, be game for*, brook, certify,… …   New thesaurus

  • Allow — Al*low , v. i. To admit; to concede; to make allowance or abatement. [1913 Webster] Allowing still for the different ways of making it. Addison. [1913 Webster] {To allow of}, to permit; to admit. Shak. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • allow — ► VERB 1) admit as legal or acceptable. 2) permit to do something. 3) (allow for) take into consideration when making plans or calculations. 4) provide or set aside for a particular purpose. 5) admit the truth of. DERIVATIVES …   English terms dictionary

  • allow me — allow ˈme idiom used to offer help politely • ‘Allow me,’ he said, taking the tray from her. Main entry: ↑allowidiom …   Useful english dictionary

  • allow — 1 permit, suffer, *let, leave Analogous words: tolerate, endure, stand, brook (see BEAR): accede, acquiesce (see ASSENT): *yield, submit, defer Antonyms: inhibit Contrasted words: *forbid, prohibit, enjoin: * …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

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