To include extra time, money, or space in a plan to deal with something that might happen.
Make sure you have enough extra time, money, or space in case something unexpected happens.
3 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
To include extra time, money, or resources in a plan to cover possible problems or changes.
"When planning the trip, we allowed for possible delays at the border."
We must allow for the possibility that we are wrong.
— Karl Popper, 'The Open Society and Its Enemies', 1945
To take a particular factor or circumstance into consideration when judging or assessing something.
"The teacher allowed for the fact that some students had missed a week of class."
To make something possible; to create the conditions for something.
"The new software allows for much faster data processing."
Very common in planning and scheduling contexts. Often used with abstract nouns like 'delays', 'mistakes', or 'differences'. Cannot be separated.
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Listen to native speakers using "allow for" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
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