a sum of money allotted or granted for a particular purpose, as for expenses: Her allowance for the business trip was $200.
a sum of money allotted or granted to a person on a regular basis, as for personal or general living expenses: The art student lived on an allowance of $300 a month. When I was in first grade, my parents gave me an allowance of 50 cents a week.
an addition or deduction based on an extenuating or qualifying circumstance: an allowance for profit; an allowance for depreciation.
acknowledgment; concession: the allowance of a claim.
sanction; tolerance: the allowance of slavery.
Machinery. a prescribed difference in dimensions of two closely fitting mating parts with regard to minimum clearance or maximum interference.Compare tolerance (def. 6a).
Coining. tolerance (def. 7).
verb (used with object),al·low·anced,al·low·anc·ing.
to place on a fixed allowance, as of food or drink.
to allocate (supplies, rations, etc.) in fixed or regular amounts.
Idioms for allowance
make allowance / allowances (for),
to take mitigating factors or circumstances into consideration.
to pardon; excuse.
to reserve time, money, etc.; allow for: Make allowance for souvenirs on the return trip.
Origin of allowance
1350–1400; Middle English alouance<Middle French. See allow, -ance
In any case some allowance should be made for the amount of nitrogen collected by the legumes.
The Pecan and its Culture|H. Harold Hume
The girls were not extravagantly provided for, but for example's sake he reduced their allowance by one-third.
The Bramleighs Of Bishop's Folly|Charles James Lever
Mr. Nightingale, it may be added, had enlarged Florence's allowance at the time of the marriage of his other daughter.
The Life of Florence Nightingale vol. 1 of 2|Edward Tyas Cook
Oh, if only I hadn't spent my allowance for clothes that I didn't need!
Tabitha's Vacation|Ruth Alberta Brown
A keen examination suggests that on the whole advance has been made, allowance being conceded for many a turn and variation.
Recollections and Impressions|Octavius Brooks Frothingham
British Dictionary definitions for allowance
allowance
/ (əˈlaʊəns) /
noun
an amount of something, esp money or food, given or allotted usually at regular intervals
a discount, as in consideration for something given in part exchange or to increase business; rebate
(in Britain) an amount of a person's income that is not subject to a particular tax and is therefore deducted before his or her liability to taxation is assessed
a portion set aside to compensate for something or to cover special expenses
Britisheducationa salary supplement given to a teacher who is appointed to undertake extra duties and responsibilities
admission; concession
the act of allowing; sanction; toleration
something allowed
make allowancesormake allowance(usually foll by for)
to take mitigating circumstances into account in consideration (of)
Tax Words To Learn Right Now (As In Today)Tax season is universally loathed. To help make this process a little less dreadful, we've broken down some of the US tax lingo you're likely to encounter.