allowance — English Dictionary

Noun

1. Permission; granting, conceding, or admitting.

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Uncountable

   Synonyms

   authorizationpermissionsanctiontolerance

   Examples

   you sent a large commission to Gregory de Cassado, to conclude, without the King's will or the state's allowance

   More examples (3)

   [Mr. Michie] Q[uestion]. Didn't Dr. Carter, Director of the OHTA [Office of Health Technology Assessment], and Martin Erlichman, OHTA scientific analyst assigned to this assessment, express to you concerns about 60 days being unreasonable as far as timeframe was concerned for this assessment? [Mr. Marshall] A[nswer]. There was some discussion about that, but that occurred some time later when we made the decision to put a notice in the Federal Register. We—when we do an assessment, we put a notice in the Federal Register and then that requires the allowance of a certain amount of time for public comment.

   The physical background of foaming of the complex fermentation liquids is not well understood. Proteins do play a major role, but all other components can also be important. Foaming is a problem, but its relation to mass transfer leads to the allowance of a certain amount of foam on top of the fermenter. For foam control a number of methods are available. Most widely used are the antifoam liquids and the centrifugal separator. The latter one should be equipped with a safety antifoam dosage device also and is less attractive for large-scale applications.

   The colossal stupidity of the one-party strategy has had three disastrous effects: the nurturance of right-wing Republican homophobes, the weakening and silencing of pro-gay, progressive Republicans, and the allowance of lacklustrer^([sic]), liberal Democrats to exploit us at their will and ignore us at their convenience.

2. Acknowledgment.

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Uncountable

   Examples

   The censure of the which one must in your allowance overweigh a whole theater of others.

3. An amount, portion, or share that is allotted or granted; a sum granted as a reimbursement, a bounty, or as appropriate for any purpose.

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Uncountable

   Synonyms

   stipend

   Examples

   her meagre allowance of food or drink

   Being a volunteer is unpaid, but we get accommodation and a living allowance of 100 euros a week.

4. An amount, portion, or share that is allotted or granted; a sum granted as a reimbursement, a bounty, or as appropriate for any purpose. Such a sum or portion granted to a family member or familiar, especially one's own child; pocket money for such a person.

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Uncountable

   Examples

   She gives her daughters each an allowance of thirty dollars a month.

   Some persons averred that Sir Pitt Crawley gave his brother a handsome allowance.

5. Abatement; deduction; the taking into account of mitigating circumstances.

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Uncountable

   Examples

   to make allowance for his naivety

   After making the largest allowance for fraud.

6. A deduction from the gross weight of goods, such as to discount their container's weight or per a custom differing by country.

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Uncountable

   Examples

   Minus the allowance, the total came to thirteen tons.

7. A permitted reduction in the weight that a racehorse must carry.

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Uncountable

   Antonyms

   penalty

   Examples

   On the Flat, an apprentice jockey starts with an allowance of 7 lb.

8. A permissible deviation in the fineness and weight of coins, owing to the difficulty in securing exact conformity to the standard prescribed by law.

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Uncountable

   Synonyms

   remedytolerance

9. Approval; approbation.

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Obsolete
   • Uncountable

   Synonyms

   accedenceconsentsanction

   Examples

   […]gave allowance where he needed none

10. License; indulgence.

    Usage

    • Countable
    • Obsolete
    • Uncountable

    Examples

    this Allowance for their Transgressions

11. A sum of money allotted to a wife for her separate maintenance, especially alimony granted upon a legal separation or divorce.

    Usage

    • Countable
    • Historical
    • Uncountable

    Examples

    '[…] Her legal allowance was not adequate to her fortune, nor sufficient for her comfortable maintenance […].

12. A planned deviation between an exact dimension and a nominal or theoretical dimension.

    Usage

    • Countable
    • Uncountable

Verb

1. To put upon a fixed allowance (especially of provisions and drink).

   Usage

   • Transitive

   Examples

   The captain was obliged to allowance his crew.

2. To supply in a fixed and limited quantity.

   Usage

   • Transitive

   Examples

   Our provisions were allowanced.

Noun

1. an amount allowed or granted (as during a given period)

   Broader terms

   shareportionpartpercentage

   Examples

   travel allowance

   my weekly allowance of two eggs

   More examples (1)

   a child's allowance should not be too generous

2. a sum granted as reimbursement for expenses

   Broader terms

   reimbursement

3. an amount added or deducted on the basis of qualifying circumstances

   Synonyms

   adjustment

   Broader terms

   recompense

   Examples

   an allowance for profit

4. a permissible difference; allowing some freedom to move within limits

   Synonyms

   leewaymargintolerance

   Broader terms

   discrepancydisagreementdivergencevariance

5. a reserve fund created by a charge against profits in order to provide for changes in the value of a company's assets

   Synonyms

   valuation reservevaluation accountallowance account

   Broader terms

   reserve accountreserve fund

6. the act of allowing

   Broader terms

   licensepermissionpermit

   Examples

   He objected to the allowance of smoking in the dining room

Verb

1. put on a fixed allowance, as of food

   Broader terms

   allowgrant