make allowance for
idiom
1
: to think about or plan for (something that will or might happen in the future)
When purchasing property, the company should make allowance for possible future growth/expansion.
2
: to consider (something) when one makes a calculation
When you're comparing costs from different decades, you need to make allowance for inflation.
Examples of make allowance for in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
But evolution doesn’t make allowance for graceful exits.
—
Peter Brannen, The Atlantic, 22 June 2022
Realism should teach us to make allowance for a trait common among our least-gifted politicians: the inability to access their own thoughts on any subject in their blind groping for the talking point du jour.
—Holman W. Jenkins, WSJ, 20 July 2021
Alas, my plan to sort and cull my thousands of books — — failed to make allowance for human nature.
—Michael Dirda, Washington Post, 17 June 2020
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Peter Brannen, The Atlantic, 22 June 2022
Realism should teach us to make allowance for a trait common among our least-gifted politicians: the inability to access their own thoughts on any subject in their blind groping for the talking point du jour.
—Holman W. Jenkins, WSJ, 20 July 2021
Alas, my plan to sort and cull my thousands of books — — failed to make allowance for human nature.
—Michael Dirda, Washington Post, 17 June 2020
Dictionary Entries Near make allowance for
Cite this Entry
“Make allowance for.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/make%20allowance%20for. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share