allow
al·low / əˈlou/ • v. [tr.] 1. admit (an event or activity) as legal or acceptable: a plan to allow Sunday shopping. ∎ give (someone) permission to do something: the dissident was allowed to leave the country. ∎ permit (someone) to have (something): he was allowed his first sip of Scotch. ∎ permit (someone) to enter a place or go in a particular direction: the river was patrolled and few people were allowed across. ∎ fail to prevent (something) from happening: I could not believe that we would allow the opportunity to slip away.2. give the necessary time or opportunity for: he stopped for a moment to allow his eyes to adjust. ∎ [intr.] (allow for) make provision or provide scope for (something): the house was demolished to allow for road widening. ∎ [intr.] (allow for) take (something) into consideration when making plans or calculations: income rose by 11 percent allowing for inflation. ∎ provide or set aside (a specified amount of something) for a specific purpose: allow an hour or so for driving.3. admit the truth of; concede: he allowed that the penalty appeared too harsh for the crime. ∎ inf. or dial. assert; be of the opinion: Lincoln allowed that he himself could never support the man.DERIVATIVES: al·low·a·ble adj.al·low·a·bly / -əblē/ adv.