# allowance

/əˈɫaʊəns/ (US) · /ɐlˈaʊəns/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/allowance
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. regular money

noun · CEFR B1

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

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

- The parents gave their daughter a small weekly allowance for doing chores.
- The company provides a monthly travel allowance to cover the costs of commuting between the regional offices.

### 2. permitted amount

noun · CEFR B1

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

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

- The airline has a strict baggage allowance of twenty kilograms per person.
- The environmental agency reduced the annual carbon allowance for heavy industries to meet new sustainability targets.

### 3. considering circumstances

noun · CEFR B2

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

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

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

### 4. technical deviation

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

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

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

- The engineer calculated the allowance between the piston and the cylinder.
- The design specifies a tight allowance to ensure the mechanical components remain stable under high thermal stress.

### 5. to limit supplies

verb · CEFR C2 · Archaic

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

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

- The sailors were allowanced to one gallon of water per day during the drought.
- During the long siege, the garrison was strictly allowanced to ensure the remaining grain lasted until spring.

## Examples

- My parents gave me a weekly allowance for doing chores.
- The airline has a strict baggage allowance of twenty kilograms per passenger for economy class tickets.
- Expatriate contracts often include a housing allowance to offset the high cost of living in major financial hubs, ensuring that employees maintain a standard of living comparable to their home country.

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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.