allowance
1 of 2noun
al·low·ance ə-ˈlau̇-ən(t)s 
1
a
: a sum granted as a reimbursement or bounty or for expenses
a salary that includes a cost-of-living allowance
especially : a sum regularly provided for personal or household expenses
Each child receives a weekly allowance.
b
: a fixed or available amount
provide an allowance of time for recreation
c
: a share or portion allotted or granted
d
: a reduction from a list price or stated price
a trade-in allowance
2
: the act of regarding bad behavior or a mistake as less serious or bad because of some special circumstance
Some allowance should be made for her inexperience.
The plan makes no allowance for bad weather.
3
: the act of allowing something : permission
4
: an allowed dimensional difference between mating parts of a machine
5
: an imposed handicap (as in a horse race)
allowance
2 of 2verb
allowanced; allowancing
transitive verb
1
archaic : to put on a fixed allowance (as of food and drink)
2
archaic : to supply in a fixed or regular quantity
Synonyms
Noun
- allotment
- cut
- end
- part
- piece
- portion
- proportion
- quota
- share
- slice
- take
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Noun a monthly allowance for household expenses Each of their children gets a weekly allowance of five dollars. the recommended daily allowance of vitamin C the tax allowance for married couples They performed poorly, but allowances should be made for their inexperience.
Recent Examples on the Web
R.j. Rico, al, 20 Aug. 2022 But since then rent prices have exploded to $2,118 per month in July, while a senior airman’s housing allowance is currently $1,647. R.j. Rico, Anchorage Daily News, 20 Aug. 2022 That was the highest per-yardage allowance by the defense since 2014 with the exception of the 2018 crater (4.52). Nathan Baird, cleveland, 23 July 2022 Will the allowance be provided upfront or on a reimbursement basis? Rebecca Edwards, Forbes, 15 July 2022 The new system will fund special education students based on the foundation allowance, plus 28% of their special education costs. Lily Altavena, Detroit Free Press, 1 July 2022 Jordan was referring to a judge’s order, during the dispute over Leland Stanford, Sr.,’s estate, that the university pay its employees’ salaries from the same allowance reserved for household staff. Maia Silber, The New Yorker, 30 May 2022 The performance will not go down as a record, though, as it was helped by a 3.2 mph wind, just over the maximum wind allowance of 2.0 mph. oregonlive, 21 May 2022 This book gives you the allowance to celebrate you. Ysolt Usigan, Woman's Day, 9 May 2022 See More
Noun
But since then rent prices have exploded to $2,118 per month on average in July, while a senior airman’s housing allowance is currently $1,647. R.j. Rico, al, 20 Aug. 2022 But since then rent prices have exploded to $2,118 per month in July, while a senior airman’s housing allowance is currently $1,647. R.j. Rico, Anchorage Daily News, 20 Aug. 2022 That was the highest per-yardage allowance by the defense since 2014 with the exception of the 2018 crater (4.52). Nathan Baird, cleveland, 23 July 2022 Will the allowance be provided upfront or on a reimbursement basis? Rebecca Edwards, Forbes, 15 July 2022 The new system will fund special education students based on the foundation allowance, plus 28% of their special education costs. Lily Altavena, Detroit Free Press, 1 July 2022 Jordan was referring to a judge’s order, during the dispute over Leland Stanford, Sr.,’s estate, that the university pay its employees’ salaries from the same allowance reserved for household staff. Maia Silber, The New Yorker, 30 May 2022 The performance will not go down as a record, though, as it was helped by a 3.2 mph wind, just over the maximum wind allowance of 2.0 mph. oregonlive, 21 May 2022 This book gives you the allowance to celebrate you. Ysolt Usigan, Woman's Day, 9 May 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Noun
Middle English allowaunce, allouance "commendation, confirmation (of a privilege), allocation of funds," borrowed from Anglo-French alouance, allowance "admission as legally valid, allocation, payment," from aluer, aloer "to place, allot, accept as legally valid" + -ance -ance — more at allow
Verb
derivative of allowance entry 1
First Known Use
Noun
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1c
Verb
1758, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Phrases Containing allowance
Kids Definition
allowance
noun
al·low·ance ə-ˈlau̇-əns
1
: an amount of money given regularly for a specific purpose
He earns his weekly allowance.
2
: a share given out
an allowance of time
3
: the act of considering things that could affect a result
Legal Definition
allowance
noun
al·low·ance ə-ˈlau̇-əns
1
: an allotted share: as
a
: a sum granted as a reimbursement or payment for expenses
an allowance to support the deceased's family
deduction for a moving allowance
b
: a sum granted as a reduction or increase
an allowance for depreciation
2
: an act of allowing
allowance of a deduction
allowances
noun
1
as in portions
something belonging to, due to, or contributed by an individual member of a group as the war progressed, each family's allowance of sugar and flour was reduced Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- portions
- shares
- quotas
- parts
- proportions
- allotments
- percentages
- cuts
- pieces
- rations
- slices
- takes
- pieces of the action
- commissions
- ends
- members
- sections
- lots
- segments
- partitions
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- compounds
- totals
- sums
- composites
- aggregates
- pools
- totalities
- wholes
2
as in permissions
the approval by someone in authority for the doing of something without the official allowance of the school board, no organization can hold its meetings on school property Synonyms & Similar Words
- permissions
- authorizations
- sanctions
- consents
- clearances
- green lights
- signatures
- licenses
- licences
- permits
- warrants
- leaves
- concurrences
- sufferances
- accreditations
- tolerances
- grants
- certifications
- concessions
- agreements
- stamps
- seals
- acceptances
- liberties
- passes
- acquiescences
- patents
- imprimaturs
- assents
- tolerations
- okays
- accords
- OKs
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- prohibitions
- denials
- proscriptions
- refusals
- revocations
- rejections
- injunctions
- exclusions
- taboos
- interdictions
- discouragements
- suppressions
- vetoes
- tabus
- bans
- repressions
- deterrences
- embargoes