Standard Lemma guide

disallow

verb · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Canada, General-American, Received-Pronunciation: /ˌdɪsəˈlaʊ/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Australian: /ˌdɪsəˈlæɔ/
  • rhymes with -aʊ
  • CMU ARPABET: D IH2 S AH0 L AW1 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To refuse to allow.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • The prisoners were disallowed to contact with a lawyer.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To reject as invalid, untrue, or improper.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • The goal was disallowed because the player was offside.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To overrule a colonial legislation by the sovereign-in-privy council.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: UK, historical

Topics: law

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

command against

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • I forbid you to call me late at night
  • Mother vetoed the trip to the chocolate store
  • Dad nixed our plans

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: forbid, prohibit, interdict, proscribe, veto, nix

Antonyms: allow

Broader terms: command, require

Narrower terms: ban, bar, debar, exclude, enjoin, outlaw, criminalize, criminalise, illegalize, illegalise

History

Etymology

From Middle English disallowen, desallowen, a borrowing from Anglo-Norman desalouer, Old French desalöer. By surface analysis, dis- + allow.

Across languages

Translations

16 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: отхвърлям (othvǎrljam) — to reject as invalid, untrue, or improper
  • Bulgarian: не приемам (ne priemam) — to reject as invalid, untrue, or improper
  • Dutch: afkeuren — to reject as invalid, untrue, or improper
  • Finnish: hylätä — to reject as invalid, untrue, or improper
  • German: nicht anerkennen — to reject as invalid, untrue, or improper
  • Greek: απορρίπτω (aporrípto) — to reject as invalid, untrue, or improper
  • Greek: ακυρώνω (akyróno) — to reject as invalid, untrue, or improper
  • Polish: odrzucić — to reject as invalid, untrue, or improper
  • Russian: отверга́ть (otvergátʹ) — to reject as invalid, untrue, or improper
  • Russian: отве́ргнуть (otvérgnutʹ) — to reject as invalid, untrue, or improper
  • Russian: отклоня́ть (otklonjátʹ) — to reject as invalid, untrue, or improper
  • Russian: отклони́ть (otklonítʹ) — to reject as invalid, untrue, or improper
  • Spanish: rechazar como inválido — to reject as invalid, untrue, or improper
  • Spanish: rechazar como falso — to reject as invalid, untrue, or improper
  • Spanish: rechazar como impropio — to reject as invalid, untrue, or improper
  • Swedish: döma bort — to reject as invalid, untrue, or improper