Definitions
- Giving permission or granting access to something. - Permitting someone to do something. - Tolerating or accepting something.
- Granting official permission or approval for something. - Empowering someone to take a particular action or make a decision. - Sanctioning or endorsing something.
List of Similarities
- 1Both words involve giving permission or approval.
- 2Both words can be used in formal or informal contexts.
- 3Both words are verbs that describe an action taken by someone in authority.
What is the difference?
- 1Scope: Authorize implies a higher level of official approval or endorsement than allow.
- 2Power: Authorize suggests granting someone the power or ability to take a specific action, while allow simply permits someone to do something.
- 3Formality: Authorize is more formal and often used in legal or official contexts, while allow is more casual and commonly used in everyday language.
- 4Connotation: Authorize has a more positive connotation, suggesting official approval or endorsement, while allow can have a neutral or negative connotation, suggesting begrudging permission or tolerance.
- 5Usage: Authorize is often used with nouns, such as 'authorize payment' or 'authorize access', while allow is often used with verbs, such as 'allow entry' or 'allow smoking'.
📌
Remember this!
Allow and authorize are synonyms that both refer to giving permission or approval. However, authorize implies a higher level of official approval or endorsement than allow, and it suggests granting someone the power or ability to take a specific action. Authorize is more formal and often used in legal or official contexts, while allow is more casual and commonly used in everyday language.
