n. Sanction; approval; tolerance: as, the allowance of slavery.n. Admission or acceptance; a conceding or granting: as, the allowance of a claim.n. Allotment; apportionment; a definite sum or quantity set apart or granted, such as alimony: as, an allowance by a husband to a wife; an allowance of grog or tobacco to a seaman; an allowance of pocket-money.n. Specifically, in law, an extra sum awarded besides regular costs to the successful party in a difficult case.n. A deduction: as, the allowances made in commerce for tare, breakages, etc.n. An abatement or addition on account of some extenuating, qualifying, enhancing, or other circumstance: as, to make allowances for a person's youth or inexperience; allowance for difference of time; allowance for shrinkage of values, etc.n. In minting, a permissible deviation in the fineness and weight of coins, owing to the difficulty of securing exact conformity to the standard prescribed by law.To put upon allowance; limit to a certain fixed periodic amount of anything: as, to allowance a spendthrift; distress compelled the captain of the ship to allowance his crew.n. Praise; commendation.n. Sanction; approbation; authorization: as, a judge's allowance of a compromise or settlement of a case by the parties interested.n. Reputation.