What does "allowance" mean?

1. (regular money) an amount of money that is given to someone regularly for a specific purpose. 2. (permitted amount) the amount of something that you are officially allowed to have or use. 3. (considering circumstances) the act of accepting a lower standard because of a special reason or problem. 4. (technical deviation) a small, planned difference in size between two parts that must fit together. 5. (to limit supplies) to limit the amount of food or drink someone is allowed to have.

How do you use "allowance"?

almost always used in the phrase 'make allowance(s) for'.

allowance

n. · v.

US //əˈɫaʊəns// UK //ɐlˈaʊəns// al·lowance

1 regular money (n.)
B1 Intermediate

an amount of money that is given to someone regularly for a specific purpose.

a sum of money granted periodically for a particular purpose, such as a child's pocket money or a business stipend.

Example

The parents gave their daughter a small weekly allowance for doing chores.

Example

The company provides a monthly travel allowance to cover the costs of commuting between the regional offices.
- stipend
- grant
- pocket money
2 permitted amount (n.)
B1 Intermediate

the amount of something that you are officially allowed to have or use.

the specific amount or quantity of something that is permitted by a regulation or contract.

Example

The airline has a strict baggage allowance of twenty kilograms per person.

Example

The environmental agency reduced the annual carbon allowance for heavy industries to meet new sustainability targets.

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3 considering circumstances (n.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

the act of accepting a lower standard because of a special reason or problem.

the act of taking mitigating circumstances into account when making a judgment or calculation.

Example

You should make allowance for the fact that he is still learning the job.

Example

When calculating the project timeline, the manager made allowance for potential delays caused by the winter weather.

Usage

almost always used in the phrase 'make allowance(s) for'.
- concession
- adjustment
4 technical deviation (n.)
C1 Advanced Technical Engineering

a small, planned difference in size between two parts that must fit together.

a planned deviation between an exact dimension and a nominal dimension to allow for proper fit or function.

Example

The engineer calculated the allowance between the piston and the cylinder.

Example

The design specifies a tight allowance to ensure the mechanical components remain stable under high thermal stress.
- tolerance
- clearance
5 to limit supplies (v.)
C2 Proficiency Archaic

to limit the amount of food or drink someone is allowed to have.

to put someone on a fixed or limited portion of provisions.

Example

The sailors were allowanced to one gallon of water per day during the drought.

Example

During the long siege, the garrison was strictly allowanced to ensure the remaining grain lasted until spring.
- ration
- limit

Origin

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂éd Proto-Italic *ad Proto-Italic *ad- Latin ad- Latin laus Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti Proto-Italic *-āō Latin -ō Latin laudō Latin allaudō Old French aloer ▲ Latin ad- Latin locus ▲ Latin -ō Latin locō Latin allocō Old French aloer Old French alouer Proto-Indo-European *-yós Proto-Italic *-ios Old Latin -ios Latin -ius Latin -iader. Old French -ance Old French alouancebor. Middle English allouance English allowance From Middle English allouance, from Old French alouance. Morphologically allow + -ance.