allowances

Noun

allowance (countable and uncountable, plural allowances)

1. Permission; granting, conceding, or admitting.
   • you sent a large commission to Gregory de Cassado, to conclude, without the King's will or the state's allowance1613 (date written), William Shakespeare, [John Fletcher], “The Famous History of the Life of King Henry the Eight”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio)...

   Synonyms:

   authorization, permission, sanction, tolerance, authority, clearance, consent, leave, license, mandate

2. Acknowledgment.
   • The censure of the which one must in your allowance overweigh a whole theater of others.c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac...
3. An amount, portion, or share that is allotted or granted; a sum granted as a reimbursement, a bounty, or as appropriate for any purpose.
   • her meagre allowance of food or drink

   Synonyms:

   stipend

   1. Such a sum or portion granted to a family member or familiar, especially one's own child; pocket money for such a person.
      • She gives her daughters each an allowance of thirty dollars a month.
4. Abatement; deduction; the taking into account of mitigating circumstances.
   • to make allowance for his naivety
5. A deduction from the gross weight of goods, such as to discount their container's weight or per a custom differing by country.
   • Minus the allowance, the total came to thirteen tons.

See all 14 meanings of allowance