Afford vs. Allow — What's the Difference?
Difference Between Afford and Allow
ADVERTISEMENT
Compare with Definitions
Afford
To have the financial means for; bear the cost of
Able to afford a new car.
Allow
To let do or happen; permit
We allow smoking only in restricted areas.
Afford
To manage to spare or give up
Can't afford an hour for lunch.
Allow
To permit the presence of
No pets are allowed inside.
Afford
To manage or bear without disadvantage or risk to oneself
Can afford to be tolerant.
ADVERTISEMENT
Allow
To permit to have
Allow oneself a little treat.
Afford
To make available or have as a necessary feature; provide
A tree that affords ample shade.
A sport affording good exercise.
Allow
To make provision for; assign
The schedule allows time for a coffee break.
Afford
To incur, stand, or bear without serious detriment, as an act which might under other circumstances be injurious; to be able or rich enough.
I think we can afford the extra hour it will take.
We can only afford to buy a small car at the moment.
Allow
To plan for in case of need
Allow two inches in the fabric for shrinkage.
Afford
(obsolete) To offer, provide, or supply, as in selling, granting or expending, with profit, or without too great a loss.
Alfred affords his goods cheaper than Bantock.
Allow
To grant as a discount or in exchange
Allowed me 20 dollars on my old typewriter.
Afford
(rare) To give forth; to supply, yield, or produce as the natural result, fruit, or issue.
Grapes afford wine.
Olives afford oil.
The earth affords fruit.
The sea affords an abundant supply of fish.
Allow
To admit; concede
I allowed he was right.
Afford
To give, grant, or confer, with a remoter reference to its being the natural result; to provide; to furnish.
A good life affords consolation in old age.
Allow
To think; suppose
"We allow he's straight" (American Speech).
Afford
To give forth; to supply, yield, or produce as the natural result, fruit, or issue; as, grapes afford wine; olives afford oil; the earth affords fruit; the sea affords an abundant supply of fish.
Allow
To assert; declare
Mother allowed that we'd better come in for dinner.
Afford
To give, grant, or confer, with a remoter reference to its being the natural result; to provide; to furnish; as, a good life affords consolation in old age.
His tuneful Muse affords the sweetest numbers.
The quiet lanes . . . afford calmer retreats.
Allow
To offer a possibility; admit
The poem allows of several interpretations.
Afford
To offer, provide, or supply, as in selling, granting, expending, with profit, or without loss or too great injury; as, A affords his goods cheaper than B; a man can afford a sum yearly in charity.
Allow
To take a possibility into account; make allowance
In calculating profit, retailers must allow for breakage and spoilage.
Afford
To incur, stand, or bear without serious detriment, as an act which might under other circumstances be injurious; - with an auxiliary, as can, could, might, etc.; to be able or rich enough.
The merchant can afford to trade for smaller profits.
He could afford to sufferWith those whom he saw suffer.
Allow
(transitive) To grant, give, admit, accord, afford, or yield; to let one have.
To allow a servant his liberty;
To allow a free passage;
To allow one day for rest
Afford
Be able to spare or give up;
I can't afford to spend two hours with this person
Allow
(transitive) To acknowledge; to accept as true; to concede; to accede to an opinion.
To allow a right;
To allow a claim;
To allow an appeal
To allow the truth of a proposition
Afford
Be the cause or source of;
He gave me a lot of trouble
Our meeting afforded much interesting information
Allow
(transitive) To grant (something) as a deduction or an addition; especially to abate or deduct.
To allow a sum for leakage.
Afford
Have the financial means to do something or buy something;
We can't afford to send our children to college
Can you afford this car?
Allow
(transitive) To grant license to; to permit; to consent to.
To allow a son to be absent.
Smoking allowed only in designated areas.
Afford
Afford access to;
The door opens to the patio
The French doors give onto a terrace
Allow
To not bar or obstruct.
Although I don't consent to their holding such meetings, I will allow them for the time being.
Allow
(transitive) To take into account by making an allowance.
When calculating a budget for a construction project, always allow for contingencies.
Allow
(transitive) To render physically possible.
Allow
To praise; to approve of; hence, to sanction.
Allow
(obsolete) To sanction; to invest; to entrust.
Allow
To like; to be suited or pleased with.
Allow
To decide (a request) in favour of the party who raised it; to grant victory to a party regarding (a request).
To allow an objection, to find in favour of the objection and forbid the conduct objected to; to allow an appeal, to decide the appeal in favour of the appellant (contrast grant leave to appeal, to permit an appeal to be heard).
Allow
To praise; to approve of; hence, to sanction.
Ye allow the deeds of your fathers.
We commend his pains, condemn his pride, allow his life, approve his learning.
Allow
To like; to be suited or pleased with.
How allow you the model of these clothes?
Allow
To sanction; to invest; to intrust.
Thou shalt be . . . allowed with absolute power.
Allow
To grant, give, admit, accord, afford, or yield; to let one have; as, to allow a servant his liberty; to allow a free passage; to allow one day for rest.
He was allowed about three hundred pounds a year.
Allow
To own or acknowledge; to accept as true; to concede; to accede to an opinion; as, to allow a right; to allow a claim; to allow the truth of a proposition.
I allow, with Mrs. Grundy and most moralists, that Miss Newcome's conduct . . . was highly reprehensible.
Allow
To grant (something) as a deduction or an addition; esp. to abate or deduct; as, to allow a sum for leakage.
Allow
To grant license to; to permit; to consent to; as, to allow a son to be absent.
Allow
To admit; to concede; to make allowance or abatement.
Allowing still for the different ways of making it.
Allow
Make it possible through a specific action or lack of action for something to happen;
This permits the water to rush in
This sealed door won't allow the water come into the basement
This will permit the rain to run off
Allow
Consent to, give permission;
She permitted her son to visit her estranged husband
I won't let the police search her basement
I cannot allow you to see your exam
Allow
Let have;
Grant permission
Mandela was allowed few visitors in prison
Allow
Give or assign a share of money or time to a particular person or cause;
I will earmark this money for your research
Allow
Make a possibility or provide opportunity for; permit to be attainable or cause to remain;
This leaves no room for improvement
The evidence allows only one conclusion
Allow for mistakes
Leave lots of time for the trip
This procedure provides for lots of leeway
Allow
Allow or plan for a certain possibility; concede the truth or validity of something;
I allow for this possibility
The seamstress planned for 5% shrinkage after the first wash
Allow
Afford possibility;
This problem admits of no solution
This short story allows of several different interpretations
Allow
Allow the other (baseball) team to score;
Give up a run
Allow
Grant as a discount or in exchange;
The camera store owner allowed me $50 on my old camera
Allow
Allow the presence of or allow (an activity) without opposing or prohibiting;
We don't allow dogs here
Children are not permitted beyond this point
We cannot tolerate smoking in the hospital
Share Your Discovery
Previous Comparison
Change vs. ConvertNext Comparison
Murmur vs. Mumble