# allow for

CEFR B2 · Phrasal verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/allow-for
Updated: 2026-04-24

## Definition

to consider or include something when you are making a plan or calculation.

For teachers: to take a factor into consideration; to make provision for a possibility or contingency when planning.

## Examples

- You should allow for traffic when planning your trip.
- The architect had to allow for extra weight when designing the roof of the new stadium.
- The budget fails to allow for the inevitable fluctuations in currency exchange rates that occur during international trade.

## Pitfalls

- Not "We must allow for to be late." but "We must allow for being late." — the preposition 'for' must be followed by a noun or a gerund, not an infinitive.

## Usage notes

- usually followed by a noun representing a potential problem, delay, or extra cost.
- Teaching tip: contrast with 'consider' (general thinking) and 'account for' (explaining why something happened); 'allow for' is specifically about preparation for the future.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.