Left vs. Let — What's the Difference?

Past tense of leave, meaning to go away from a place or person.

To allow or permit.

To let remain or cause to remain.

Used in expressions of proposal.

To abandon or forsake.

To rent out property.

To have gone and remained away.

To cause or make.

To have as a remainder.

To release from confinement.

Of, belonging to, located on, or being the side of the body to the north when the subject is facing east.

To give permission or opportunity to; allow

Of, relating to, directed toward, or located on the left side.

To cause to; make

Located on the left side of a person facing downstream

Used as an auxiliary in the imperative to express a command, request, or proposal

Often Left Of or belonging to the political or intellectual left.

Used as an auxiliary in the imperative to express a warning or threat

The direction or position on the left side.

To permit to enter, proceed, or depart

The left side.

To release from or as if from confinement

The left hand.

To rent or lease

A turn in the direction of the left hand or side.

To award, especially after bids have been submitted

The people and groups who advocate liberal, often radical measures to effect change in the established order, especially in politics, with the goal of achieving the equality, freedom, and well-being of the common citizens of a state. Also called left wing.

To become rented or leased.

The opinion of those advocating such measures.

To be or become assigned, as to a contractor.

(Sports) A blow delivered by a boxer's left hand.

To hinder or obstruct.

(Baseball) Left field.

Something that hinders; an obstacle

Toward or on the left.

(Sports) An invalid stroke in tennis and other net games that requires a replay.

Past tense and past participle of leave1.

(transitive) To allow to, not to prevent to}}.

Designating the side of the body toward the west when one is facing north; the opposite of right. This arrow points to the reader's left: ←

(transitive) To allow to be or do without interference; to not disturb or meddle with; to leave (someone or something) alone.

(geography) Designating the bank of a river (etc.) on one's left when facing downstream (i.e. facing forward while floating with the current); that is, the north bank of a river that flows eastward. If this arrow: ⥲ shows the direction of the current, the tilde is on the left side of the river.

(transitive) To allow the release of (a fluid).

(politics) Left-wing; pertaining to the political left.

(transitive) To allow possession of (a property etc.) in exchange for rent.

On the left side.

(transitive) To give, grant, or assign, as a work, privilege, or contract; often with out.

Towards the left side.

Used to introduce a first or third person imperative verb construction.

Towards the political left.

To cause + bare infinitive.

The left side or direction.

(archaic) To hinder, prevent, impede, hamper, cumber; to obstruct (someone or something).

(politics) The left-wing political parties as a group; citizens holding left-wing views as a group.

(obsolete) To prevent someone from doing something; also to prevent something from happening.

The left hand or fist.

(obsolete) To tarry or delay.

(boxing) A punch delivered with the left fist.

The allowing of possession of a property etc. in exchange for rent.

(surfing) A wave breaking from left to right (viewed from the shore).

An obstacle or hindrance.

Simple past tense and past participle of leave||depart, separate from; (cause or allow to) remain.

(tennis) The hindrance caused by the net during serve, only if the ball falls legally.

Simple past tense and past participle of leave||permit.

To retard; to hinder; to impede; to oppose.

Of Leave.

To leave; to relinquish; to abandon.

Of or pertaining to that side of the body in man on which the muscular action of the limbs is usually weaker than on the other side; - opposed to right, when used in reference to a part of the body; as, the left hand, or arm; the left ear. Also said of the corresponding side of the lower animals.

To consider; to think; to esteem.

Situated so that the left side of the body is toward it; as, the left side of a deliberative meeting is that to the left of the presiding officer; the left wing of an army is that to the left of the center to one facing an enemy.

To cause; to make; - used with the infinitive in the active form but in the passive sense; as, let make, i. e., cause to be made; let bring, i. e., cause to be brought.

That part of surrounding space toward which the left side of one's body is turned; as, the house is on the left when you face North.

To permit; to allow; to suffer; - either affirmatively, by positive act, or negatively, by neglecting to restrain or prevent.

Those members of a legislative assembly (as in France) who are in the opposition; the advanced republicans and extreme radicals. They have their seats at the left-hand side of the presiding officer. See Center, and Right.

To allow to be used or occupied for a compensation; to lease; to rent; to hire out; - often with out; as, to let a farm; to let a house; to let out horses.

Location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east;

To give, grant, or assign, as a work, privilege, or contract; - often with out; as, to let the building of a bridge; to let out the lathing and the plastering.

Those who support varying degrees of social or political or economic change designed to promote the public welfare

To forbear.

The hand that is on the left side of the body;

A retarding; hindrance; obstacle; impediment; delay; - common in the phrase without let or hindrance, but elsewhere archaic.

The piece of ground in the outfield on the catcher's left

A stroke in which a ball touches the top of the net in passing over.

A turn to the left;

The most brutal terrorist group active in Kashmir; fights against India with the goal of restoring Islamic rule of India;

Being or located on or directed toward the side of the body to the west when facing north;

A serve that strikes the net before falling into the receiver's court; the ball must be served again

Not used up;

Make it possible through a specific action or lack of action for something to happen;

Intended for the left hand;

Actively cause something to happen;

Of or belonging to the political or intellectual right

Consent to, give permission;

Toward or on the left; also used figuratively;

Cause to move; cause to be in a certain position or condition;

Leave unchanged;

Grant use or occupation of under a term of contract;

"Left" implies a completion of an action where someone has departed or moved on from a situation.

No, "left" and "let" have different meanings and uses; they cannot be used interchangeably.

No, "left" is the past tense of "leave" and does not have a present tense form.

"Let" is used in the present tense or as an imperative.

"Let" is commonly used to grant permission or make a proposal in a situation.

"Let" implies allowing or permitting something to happen or an action to take place.

Departed, gone, moved away are synonyms for "left."

Yes, "left" can imply both physical and emotional departure.

"Left" is primarily used to indicate that someone has departed from a place or state.

"Let" indicates giving permission for an action in the present or future.

Allow, permit, enable are synonyms for "let."

"Left" indicates an action in the past.

"Left" is used as a past tense verb, whereas "let" is used in the present tense or as an imperative.