English Lexicon

Disallow

/dɪs.əˈlaʊ/
verbCEFR B2 (Upper)Top #8500 frequency
Full Thesaurus

Comprehensive Definitions & Senses

2 senses
As verb
  1. 1

    To refuse to allow something; to prohibit.

    "The school disallows the use of mobile phones during class."
  2. 2

    To reject or not accept something.

    "The committee disallowed the proposal due to lack of funding."

Thesaurus & Semantic Spectrum

Antonyms & Contrasting Words (1)

Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology

Derived from the Middle English prefix 'dis-' (expressing negation or reversal) combined with 'allow', which traces back through Old French 'allouer' from Latin 'allocare' (to allot or place). The modern sense of refusing to authorize, sanction, or accept officially developed by the late 16th century.

Quick Vocabulary Retention Check

Which of the following is the closest synonym for "Disallow"?

Thesaurus & Synonyms Graph

Explore Nuanced Synonyms for "Disallow"

Discover exact matches, context-specific alternatives, and antonyms with intensity ratings in the VocabDictionary Thesaurus.

View "Disallow" Synonym Map