allowance

B1 · Intermediate Countable noun

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

n. 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.”

B2 · Upper Intermediate Uncountable noun

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

n. 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.”

C1 · Advanced Countable noun Engineering Technical

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

n. 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.”

C2 · Proficiency Archaic

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

v. 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.”