"allowable" meaning in English

See allowable in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Adjective

IPA: /əˈlaʊ.əbəl/ Audio: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-allowable.wav Forms: more allowable [comparative], most allowable [superlative]
Etymology: From Middle English allowable, alowable, a borrowing from Old French alouable (Modern French allouable), from allouer, equivalent to allow + -able. Etymology templates: {{inh|en|enm|allowable}} Middle English allowable, {{der|en|fro|alouable}} Old French alouable, {{af|en|allow|-able}} allow + -able Head templates: {{en-adj}} allowable (comparative more allowable, superlative most allowable)
  1. Appropriate; acceptable.
    Sense id: en-allowable-en-adj-pEP0~nDn
  2. Intellectually admissible; valid; probable.
    Sense id: en-allowable-en-adj-Ebm5eMO2 Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 3 46 35 8 1 6 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 2 46 39 6 0 6 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 2 50 38 5 0 5
  3. Able to be added or deducted in consideration of something.
    Sense id: en-allowable-en-adj-hiK5wM~m Categories (other): English terms suffixed with -able, Pages with 1 entry Disambiguation of English terms suffixed with -able: 3 17 65 8 1 6 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 2 46 39 6 0 6
  4. Permissible; tolerable; legitimate. Synonyms (permissible): leveful
    Sense id: en-allowable-en-adj-yd0F4R-q Disambiguation of 'permissible': 5 1 1 93 0
  5. (obsolete) Praiseworthy. Tags: obsolete
    Sense id: en-allowable-en-adj-IcB7OSZp
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Derived forms: allowableness, allowably, nonallowable, unallowable

Noun

IPA: /əˈlaʊ.əbəl/ Audio: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-allowable.wav Forms: allowables [plural]
Etymology: From Middle English allowable, alowable, a borrowing from Old French alouable (Modern French allouable), from allouer, equivalent to allow + -able. Etymology templates: {{inh|en|enm|allowable}} Middle English allowable, {{der|en|fro|alouable}} Old French alouable, {{af|en|allow|-able}} allow + -able Head templates: {{en-noun}} allowable (plural allowables)
  1. A permitted amount or activity.
    Sense id: en-allowable-en-noun-AWQttWeF

Inflected forms

{
  "derived": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "allowableness"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "allowably"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "nonallowable"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "unallowable"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "allowable"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English allowable",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "fro",
        "3": "alouable"
      },
      "expansion": "Old French alouable",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "allow",
        "3": "-able"
      },
      "expansion": "allow + -able",
      "name": "af"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Middle English allowable, alowable, a borrowing from Old French alouable (Modern French allouable), from allouer, equivalent to allow + -able.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "more allowable",
      "tags": [
        "comparative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "most allowable",
      "tags": [
        "superlative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "allowable (comparative more allowable, superlative most allowable)",
      "name": "en-adj"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adj",
  "senses": [
    {
      "glosses": [
        "Appropriate; acceptable."
      ],
      "id": "en-allowable-en-adj-pEP0~nDn",
      "links": [
        [
          "Appropriate",
          "appropriate#English"
        ],
        [
          "acceptable",
          "acceptable"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "3 46 35 8 1 6",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "2 46 39 6 0 6",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "2 50 38 5 0 5",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Intellectually admissible; valid; probable."
      ],
      "id": "en-allowable-en-adj-Ebm5eMO2",
      "links": [
        [
          "Intellectually",
          "intellectual"
        ],
        [
          "admissible",
          "admissible"
        ],
        [
          "probable",
          "probable"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "3 17 65 8 1 6",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English terms suffixed with -able",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "2 46 39 6 0 6",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Able to be added or deducted in consideration of something."
      ],
      "id": "en-allowable-en-adj-hiK5wM~m",
      "links": [
        [
          "consideration",
          "consideration"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              237,
              246
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "1650, Thomas Browne, Pseudodoxia Epidemica: […], 2nd edition, London: […] A[braham] Miller, for Edw[ard] Dod and Nath[aniel] Ekins, […], →OCLC:",
          "text": "And first, although there were more things in nature then words which did expresse them, yet even in these mute and silent discourses, to expresse complexed significations, they took a liberty to compound and piece together creatures of allowable formes unto mixtures inexistent […]",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              94,
              103
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "2023 June 10, Majlie de Puy Kamp, Curt Devine, Audrey Ash, Casey Tolan, Allison Gordon and Pamela Brown, “As horse racing’s best trainers rake in millions, records show they’ve violated rules aimed at keeping the animals safe”, in CNN:",
          "text": "New HISA regulations, implemented last month, include strict rules about withdrawal times and allowable medication levels on race day.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Permissible; tolerable; legitimate."
      ],
      "id": "en-allowable-en-adj-yd0F4R-q",
      "links": [
        [
          "Permissible",
          "permissible#English"
        ],
        [
          "tolerable",
          "tolerable"
        ],
        [
          "legitimate",
          "legitimate"
        ]
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "_dis1": "5 1 1 93 0",
          "sense": "permissible",
          "word": "leveful"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "glosses": [
        "Praiseworthy."
      ],
      "id": "en-allowable-en-adj-IcB7OSZp",
      "links": [
        [
          "Praiseworthy",
          "praiseworthy#English"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(obsolete) Praiseworthy."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "obsolete"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/əˈlaʊ.əbəl/"
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-allowable.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/e/ed/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-allowable.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-allowable.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/e/ed/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-allowable.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-allowable.wav.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "word": "allowable"
}

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "allowable"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English allowable",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "fro",
        "3": "alouable"
      },
      "expansion": "Old French alouable",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "allow",
        "3": "-able"
      },
      "expansion": "allow + -able",
      "name": "af"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Middle English allowable, alowable, a borrowing from Old French alouable (Modern French allouable), from allouer, equivalent to allow + -able.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "allowables",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "allowable (plural allowables)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "glosses": [
        "A permitted amount or activity."
      ],
      "id": "en-allowable-en-noun-AWQttWeF"
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/əˈlaʊ.əbəl/"
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-allowable.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/e/ed/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-allowable.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-allowable.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/e/ed/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-allowable.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-allowable.wav.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "word": "allowable"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English adjectives",
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English nouns",
    "English terms derived from Middle English",
    "English terms derived from Old French",
    "English terms inherited from Middle English",
    "English terms suffixed with -able",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries"
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "allowableness"
    },
    {
      "word": "allowably"
    },
    {
      "word": "nonallowable"
    },
    {
      "word": "unallowable"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "allowable"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English allowable",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "fro",
        "3": "alouable"
      },
      "expansion": "Old French alouable",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "allow",
        "3": "-able"
      },
      "expansion": "allow + -able",
      "name": "af"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Middle English allowable, alowable, a borrowing from Old French alouable (Modern French allouable), from allouer, equivalent to allow + -able.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "more allowable",
      "tags": [
        "comparative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "most allowable",
      "tags": [
        "superlative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "allowable (comparative more allowable, superlative most allowable)",
      "name": "en-adj"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adj",
  "senses": [
    {
      "glosses": [
        "Appropriate; acceptable."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "Appropriate",
          "appropriate#English"
        ],
        [
          "acceptable",
          "acceptable"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "Intellectually admissible; valid; probable."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "Intellectually",
          "intellectual"
        ],
        [
          "admissible",
          "admissible"
        ],
        [
          "probable",
          "probable"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "Able to be added or deducted in consideration of something."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "consideration",
          "consideration"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              237,
              246
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "1650, Thomas Browne, Pseudodoxia Epidemica: […], 2nd edition, London: […] A[braham] Miller, for Edw[ard] Dod and Nath[aniel] Ekins, […], →OCLC:",
          "text": "And first, although there were more things in nature then words which did expresse them, yet even in these mute and silent discourses, to expresse complexed significations, they took a liberty to compound and piece together creatures of allowable formes unto mixtures inexistent […]",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              94,
              103
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "2023 June 10, Majlie de Puy Kamp, Curt Devine, Audrey Ash, Casey Tolan, Allison Gordon and Pamela Brown, “As horse racing’s best trainers rake in millions, records show they’ve violated rules aimed at keeping the animals safe”, in CNN:",
          "text": "New HISA regulations, implemented last month, include strict rules about withdrawal times and allowable medication levels on race day.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Permissible; tolerable; legitimate."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "Permissible",
          "permissible#English"
        ],
        [
          "tolerable",
          "tolerable"
        ],
        [
          "legitimate",
          "legitimate"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with obsolete senses"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Praiseworthy."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "Praiseworthy",
          "praiseworthy#English"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(obsolete) Praiseworthy."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "obsolete"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/əˈlaʊ.əbəl/"
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-allowable.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/e/ed/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-allowable.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-allowable.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/e/ed/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-allowable.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-allowable.wav.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "sense": "permissible",
      "word": "leveful"
    }
  ],
  "word": "allowable"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "English adjectives",
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English nouns",
    "English terms derived from Middle English",
    "English terms derived from Old French",
    "English terms inherited from Middle English",
    "English terms suffixed with -able",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries"
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "allowable"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English allowable",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "fro",
        "3": "alouable"
      },
      "expansion": "Old French alouable",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "allow",
        "3": "-able"
      },
      "expansion": "allow + -able",
      "name": "af"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Middle English allowable, alowable, a borrowing from Old French alouable (Modern French allouable), from allouer, equivalent to allow + -able.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "allowables",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "allowable (plural allowables)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "glosses": [
        "A permitted amount or activity."
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/əˈlaʊ.əbəl/"
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-allowable.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/e/ed/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-allowable.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-allowable.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/e/ed/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-allowable.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-allowable.wav.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "word": "allowable"
}

Download raw JSONL data for allowable meaning in English (5.1kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2025-12-29 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2025-12-20 using wiktextract (cdfa371 and 9905b1f). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.