allow and appropriate share a recorded sense, so the question is not what they mean but which one fits. allow means “make it possible through a specific action or lack of action for something to happen”. appropriate means “give or assign a resource to a particular person or cause”. allow is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/əˈlaʊ/
1.v.make it possible through a specific action or lack of action for something to happen
“This permits the water to rush in”
2.v.consent to, give permission
“She permitted her son to visit her estranged husband”
3.v.let have
“grant permission”
| allow | appropriate | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /əˈlaʊ/ | /əˈpɹoʊpɹiət/ |
| Said | uh-LOW | uh-PROH-pree-uht |
| Syllables | 2 | 4 |
| Letters | 5 | 11 |
| Parts of speech | verb | verb, adjective |
| Senses | 10 | 3 |
| How common | Core | Common |
| Synonyms | let, permit | allow, earmark, set aside |
Full entry for allow · Full entry for appropriate · More comparisons
/əˈpɹoʊpɹiət/
1.v.give or assign a resource to a particular person or cause
“I will earmark this money for your research”
2.v.take possession of by force, as after an invasion
“the invaders seized the land and property of the inhabitants”
3.adj.suitable for a particular person or place or condition etc
“a book not appropriate for children”