allow
Suppose or believe, not give permission.
Also called allow as how.
Updated September 21, 2026
allow pronunciation
/uh-LOW/
Meaning
In Southern and Appalachian talk, allow often means "I reckon" or "I figure." I allow he'll be late means you expect it. Pair it with as how and it softens into a polite guess: I allow as how we ought to head home. Listeners still hear the everyday "permit" sense too, so tone and sentence shape do the sorting.
How folks use it
- “I allow it'll rain before supper.”
- “She allowed as how the pie was the best she'd had.”
Origin and etymology
Older English used allow for admit or acknowledge. That sense held on in American regional speech, especially the South and Appalachia, while general English pushed allow toward permission. Related phrase: allow as how.
Frequently asked questions
Does allow always mean permission here?
No. In this dialect sense it means suppose or admit. Permission is a different everyday meaning of the same spelling.