Allow vs. Deny — What's the Difference?
Difference Between Allow and Deny
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Compare with Definitions
Allow
To let do or happen; permit
We allow smoking only in restricted areas.
Deny
To declare untrue; assert to be false
"A senior officer denied that any sensitive documents had been stored there" (Scott Ritter).
Allow
To permit the presence of
No pets are allowed inside.
Deny
To refuse to believe; reject
Deny the existence of evil spirits.
Allow
To permit to have
Allow oneself a little treat.
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Deny
To refuse to recognize or acknowledge; disavow
The official denied any wrongdoing.
Allow
To make provision for; assign
The schedule allows time for a coffee break.
Deny
To decline to grant or allow; refuse
Deny the student's request.
Denied the prisoner food or water.
Allow
To plan for in case of need
Allow two inches in the fabric for shrinkage.
Deny
To give a refusal to; turn down or away
The protesters were determined not to be denied.
Allow
To grant as a discount or in exchange
Allowed me 20 dollars on my old typewriter.
Deny
To restrain (oneself) especially from indulgence in pleasures.
Allow
To admit; concede
I allowed he was right.
Deny
(transitive) To disallow or reject.
I wanted to go to the party, but I was denied.
Allow
To think; suppose
"We allow he's straight" (American Speech).
Deny
(transitive) To assert that something is not true.
I deny that I was at the party.
Everyone knows he committed the crime, but he still denies it.
Allow
To assert; declare
Mother allowed that we'd better come in for dinner.
Deny
(ditransitive) To refuse to give or grant something to someone.
My father denied me a good education.
Allow
To offer a possibility; admit
The poem allows of several interpretations.
Deny
To take something away from someone; to deprive of.
Allow
To take a possibility into account; make allowance
In calculating profit, retailers must allow for breakage and spoilage.
Deny
To prevent from scoring.
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
Deny
To disclaim connection with, responsibility for, etc.; to refuse to acknowledge; to disown; to abjure; to disavow.
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
Deny
(obsolete) To refuse (to do or accept something).
Allow
(transitive) To grant (something) as a deduction or an addition; especially to abate or deduct.
To allow a sum for leakage.
Deny
To declare not to be true; to gainsay; to contradict; - opposed to affirm, allow, or admit.
Allow
(transitive) To grant license to; to permit; to consent to.
To allow a son to be absent.
Smoking allowed only in designated areas.
Deny
To refuse (to do something or to accept something); to reject; to decline; to renounce.
Allow
To not bar or obstruct.
Although I don't consent to their holding such meetings, I will allow them for the time being.
Deny
To refuse to grant; to withhold; to refuse to gratify or yield to; as, to deny a request.
Who finds not Providence all good and wise,Alike in what it gives, and what denies?
To some men, it is more agreeable to deny a vicious inclination, than to gratify it.
Allow
(transitive) To take into account by making an allowance.
When calculating a budget for a construction project, always allow for contingencies.
Deny
To disclaim connection with, responsibility for, and the like; to refuse to acknowledge; to disown; to abjure; to disavow.
The falsehood of denying his opinion.
Thou thrice denied, yet thrice beloved.
Let him deny himself, and take up his cross.
Allow
(transitive) To render physically possible.
Deny
To answer in negative; to declare an assertion not to be true.
Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid.
Allow
To praise; to approve of; hence, to sanction.
Deny
Declare untrue; contradict;
He denied the allegations
She denied that she had taken money
Allow
(obsolete) To sanction; to invest; to entrust.
Deny
Refuse to accept or believe;
He denied his fatal illness
Allow
To like; to be suited or pleased with.
Deny
Refuse to grant, as of a petition or request;
The dean denied the students' request for more physics courses
The prisoners were denied the right to exercise for more than 2 hours a day
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).
Deny
Refuse to let have;
She denies me every pleasure
He denies her her weekly allowance
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.
Deny
Deny oneself (something); restrain, especially from indulging in some pleasure;
She denied herself wine and spirits
Allow
To like; to be suited or pleased with.
How allow you the model of these clothes?
Deny
Deny formally (an allegation of fact by the opposing party) in a legal suit
Allow
To sanction; to invest; to intrust.
Thou shalt be . . . allowed with absolute power.
Deny
Refuse to recognize or acknowledge;
Peter denied Jesus
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
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