allowallowallowsallowedallowingverb (allows, allowing, allowed)to say that somebody can have or do something: My parents allow me to stay out late at weekends. Smoking is not allowed in most cinemas. You're not allowed to park your car here.which word?Allow or let? Allow is used in both formal and informal English. Let is very common in spoken English. You allow somebody to do something, but you let somebody do something (without ‘to’): • Jenny was allowed to stay up late last night. • Her parents let her stay up late last night. In written English you can use permit: • Smoking is not permitted in this building.