1. the act of allowing.
2. an amount that is allowed or granted: consumed my weekly allowance of two eggs.
3. something, such as money, given at regular intervals or for a specific purpose: a travel allowance that covers hotel bills.
4. A price reduction, especially one granted in exchange for used merchandise: the dealer gave us an allowance on our old car.
5. A consideration for possibilities or modifying circumstances: an allowance for breakage; made allowances for rush-hour traffic in estimating travel time.
6. an allowed difference in dimension of closely mating machine parts.
7. to put on a fixed allowance: cut expenses by strictly allowancing the sales representatives.
8. to dispense in fixed quantities; ration.

1. the act of allowing, granting, conceding, or admitting; authorization; permission; sanction; tolerance.
2. acknowledgment.
3. that which is allowed; a share or portion allotted or granted; a sum granted as a reimbursement, a bounty, or as appropriate for any purpose; a stated quantity, as of food or drink; hence, a limited quantity of meat and drink, when provisions fall short.
4. abatement; deduction; the taking into account of mitigating circumstances; as, to make allowance for the inexperience of youth.
5. A customary deduction from the gross weight of goods, different in different countries, such as tare and tret.
6. A child's allowance; pocket money.
7. to put upon a fixed allowance (especially of provisions and drink); to supply in a fixed and limited quantity.

1. approval; approbation.
2. the act of allowing, granting, conceding, or admitting; authorization; permission; sanction; tolerance.
3. acknowledgment.
4. license; indulgence.
5. that which is allowed; a share or portion allotted or granted; a sum granted as a reimbursement, a bounty, or as appropriate for any purpose; a stated quantity, as of food or drink; hence, a limited quantity of meat and drink, when provisions fall short.
6. abatement; deduction; the taking into account of mitigating circumstances.
7. A customary deduction from the gross weight of goods, different in different countries, such as tare and tret.
8. to put upon a fixed allowance (esp. of provisions and drink); to supply in a fixed and limited quantity

1. to put upon allowance; limit to a certain fixed periodic amount of anything: as, to allowance a spendthrift; distress compelled the captain of the ship to allowance his crew.
2. sanction; approval; tolerance: as, the allowance of slavery.
3. admission or acceptance; a conceding or granting: as, the allowance of a claim.
4. allotment; apportionment; a definite sum or quantity set apart or granted, such as alimony: as, an allowance by a husband to a wife; an allowance of grog or tobacco to a seaman; an allowance of pocket-money.
5. specifically, in law, an extra sum awarded besides regular costs to the successful party in a difficult case.
6. A deduction: as, the allowances made in commerce for tare, breakages, etc.
7. an abatement or addition on account of some extenuating, qualifying, enhancing, or other circumstance: as, to make allowances for a person's youth or inexperience; allowance for difference of time; allowance for shrinkage of values, etc.
8. in minting, a permissible deviation in the fineness and weight of coins, owing to the difficulty of securing exact conformity to the standard prescribed by law.
9. praise; commendation.
10. sanction; approbation; authorization: as, a judge's allowance of a compromise or settlement of a case by the parties interested.
11. reputation.

1. an amount allowed or granted (as during a given period)
2. put on a fixed allowance, as of food
3. the act of allowing
4. a sum granted as reimbursement for expenses
5. an amount added or deducted on the basis of qualifying circumstances
6. a reserve fund created by a charge against profits in order to provide for changes in the value of a company's assets
7. a permissible difference; allowing some freedom to move within limits