What does allowance mean?
An allowance is a sum of money provided on a regular basis for a defined purpose, most familiarly as pocket money given by parents to children, but also as an official payment covering expenses such as meals, travel, or clothing. The word extends beyond money: an allowance can be any permitted quantity or limit — a baggage allowance on a flight, a tax allowance reducing what one owes, or a calorie allowance in a diet plan. In everyday speech it also appears in the idiomatic phrase 'to make allowances for someone', meaning to show tolerance or leniency toward their shortcomings or difficult circumstances. Derived from the verb 'allow', the word carries connotations of permission and provision rather than earned wages, distinguishing it from salary or payment for work done. It is a versatile, neutral term used across household, commercial, legal, and administrative contexts in both British and American English.
nounA sum of money given regularly for a particular purpose, such as a child's spending money or an employee's expenses; more broadly, the amount of something permitted or allowed within set limits.
- Money given regularly to someone, especially a child or dependent, for personal spending.
- An amount of money granted for a specific purpose, such as travel or clothing expenses.
- A permitted quantity or limit of something (e.g. baggage allowance, tax allowance).
- In the phrase 'make allowances for', consideration shown toward someone's circumstances or faults.
"Her parents give her a weekly allowance of ten dollars."
"He saves half of his monthly allowance to buy books."
"Employees receive a daily meal allowance while travelling on business."
"The airline's baggage allowance is 23 kilograms per passenger."
Standard plural; commonly used in financial and administrative contexts to refer to multiple types or instances of payments or permitted amounts.
"The company offers several allowances, including housing and transport."
The phrase 'make allowances for someone' literally means to excuse their faults — so when you cut a friend some slack, you're speaking pure medieval accounting.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of allowance
Allowance derives from the Middle English verb 'allowen', itself borrowed from Old French 'alouer', which traces back through medieval Latin 'allocare' — related to Latin 'locare' ('to place') — with influence from 'ad-' + 'laudare' ('to approve'). It originally meant approval or sanction, later shifting to mean a permitted portion or allotted sum. Cognates include 'allow' and 'allot', sharing the same Romance lineage.
How allowance is actually used
Mostly neutral register; common in both everyday and formal/financial contexts. The phrase 'make allowances for' is idiomatic and widely used in British and American English alike.
Easily confused with allowance
This is not a standard English word; 'allowance' is sometimes mistyped this way but there is no separate word to distinguish.