allowance

views updated Jun 08 2018

al·low·ance / əˈlou-əns/ • n. the amount of something that is permitted, esp. within a set of regulations or for a specified purpose: a seventy-five-pound baggage allowance. ∎  a sum of money paid regularly to a person to meet specified needs or expenses. ∎  a small amount of money that a parent regularly gives a child. ∎  an amount of money that can be earned or received free of tax: a personal allowance. ∎  a reduction in price, typically for the exchange of used goods: he made the down payment with the trade-in allowance. ∎  Horse Racing a deduction in the weight that a horse is required to carry in a race. ∎ archaic tolerance.PHRASES: make allowance(s) for1. take into consideration when planning or making calculations: a special circuit makes allowances for changes in the ambient temperature.2. regard or treat leniently on account of mitigating circumstances: she liked them and made allowances for their faults.