allowance (n.)

  1. an amount allowed or granted (as during a given period); travel allowance; my weekly allowance of two eggs; a child's allowance should not be too generous'

  2. a sum granted as reimbursement for expenses

  3. an amount added or deducted on the basis of qualifying circumstances; an allowance for profit

    [ Syn: adjustment ]

  4. a permissible difference; allowing some freedom to move within limits

    [ Syn: leeway , margin , tolerance ]

  5. a reserve fund created by a charge against profits in order to provide for changes in the value of a companys assets

    [ Syn: valuation reserve , valuation account , allowance account ]

  6. the act of allowing; He objected to the allowance of smoking in the dining room'

    allowance (v.)

  1. put on a fixed allowance, as of food

The dictionary is based on the WordNet Electronic Lexical Database.
WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2011 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.