Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner's English Dictionary - permit

(permitted) Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English. 1. If someone permits something, they allow it to happen. If they permit you to do something, they allow you to do it. (FORMAL) He can let the court’s decision stand and permit the execution... Employees are permitted to use the golf course during their free hours... No outside journalists have been permitted into the country... If they appear to be under 12, then the doorman is not allowed to permit them entry to the film. VERB: V n, V n to-inf, be V-ed into n, V n n 2. A permit is an official document which says that you may do something. For example you usually need a permit to work in a foreign country. The majority of foreign nationals working here have work permits... N-COUNT 3. If a situation permits something, it makes it possible for that thing to exist, happen, or be done or it provides the opportunity for it. (FORMAL) He sets about creating an environment that just doesn’t permit experiment, it encourages it... Try to go out for a walk at lunchtime, if the weather permits... This method of cooking also permits heat to penetrate evenly from both sides. = allow VERB: V n, V, V n to-inf, also V of n 4. If you permit yourself something, you allow yourself to do something that you do not normally do or that you think you probably should not do. Captain Bowen permitted himself one cigar a day... Only once in his life had Douglas permitted himself to lose control of his emotions. = allow VERB: V pron-refl n, V pron-refl to-inf 5. You can use permit me when you are about to say something or to make a suggestion. (FORMAL) Permit me to give you some advice... = allow me PHRASE: PHR to-inf c darkgreen]politeness