allow for
verb
allowed for; allowing for; allows for
1
: to think about or plan for (something that will or might happen in the future)
When purchasing property, the company should allow for possible future growth/expansion.
2
: to consider (something) when one makes a calculation
The total distance, allowing for detours, is about 10 miles.
If you allow for inflation, he's actually earning less money now than he was 10 years ago.
3
: to make (something) possible
The design of the system allows for easy upgrades.
Examples of allow for in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The Essential plan only includes a subset of the Showtime Originals found on the Premium plan, is ad supported, and doesn’t allow for downloads or live CBS.
—
Brad Bourque, The Verge, 17 June 2026
Having a holiday such as Juneteenth to celebrate allows for a brief respite—a pause—to recall how necessary Black Americans are to the very existence and survival of this country—then and now.
—Jennifer Rosen Heinz, Parents, 17 June 2026
The project is permitted to continue operating through at least the end of the year, which will allow for a deeper analysis of the data.
—Joe Ruch, CBS News, 17 June 2026
Grimes supports changes to CEQA that allow for more housing in urban areas and near transit stops because those efforts can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
—Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 17 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for allow for
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Brad Bourque, The Verge, 17 June 2026
Having a holiday such as Juneteenth to celebrate allows for a brief respite—a pause—to recall how necessary Black Americans are to the very existence and survival of this country—then and now.
—Jennifer Rosen Heinz, Parents, 17 June 2026
The project is permitted to continue operating through at least the end of the year, which will allow for a deeper analysis of the data.
—Joe Ruch, CBS News, 17 June 2026
Grimes supports changes to CEQA that allow for more housing in urban areas and near transit stops because those efforts can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
—Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 17 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for allow for
Cite this Entry
“Allow for.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/allow%20for. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.
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