# let
## English
### Alternative forms

* lett (archaic)
* lettest (2nd person singular simple present and simple past; archaic)
* letteth (3rd person singular simple present; archaic)

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /lɛt/
* Audio (Southern England):(file)
* Audio (US):(file)
* Rhymes: -ɛt
* Homophone: Lett

### Etymology 1

Derived from Middle English leten, læten, from Old English lǣtan (“to allow, let go, bequeath, leave, rent”), from Proto-West Germanic *lātan, from Proto-Germanic *lētaną (“to leave behind, allow”), from Proto-Indo-European *leh₁d- (“to be tired, leave”).
Cognate with Scots lat, lete (“to let, leave”), North Frisian lete (“to let”), West Frisian litte (“to let”), Dutch laten (“to let, leave”), German lassen (“to let, leave, allow”), Swedish låta (“to let, allow, leave”), Danish lade (“to let, allow, leave”), Icelandic láta (“to let”), Albanian lë (“to allow, let, leave”) and partially related to French laisser (“to let”).

#### Verb

let (third-person singular simple present lets, present participle letting, simple past let or (obsolete) leet, past participle let or (obsolete) letten)
* (transitive) To allow to, not to prevent (+ infinitive, but usually without to).
    After he knocked for hours, I decided to let him come in.
** 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Exodus 8:28:Pharaoh said, I will let you go.
** c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene vi]:If your name be Horatio, as I am let to know it is […]
** 1971, Ursula K. Le Guin, The Tombs of Atuan:He could not be let die of thirst there alone in the dark.
** 2013 June 21, Oliver Burkeman, “The tao of tech”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 2, page 27:The dirty secret of the internet is that all this distraction and interruption is immensely profitable. Web companies like to boast about […], or offering services that let you "stay up to date with what your friends are doing", […] and so on. But the real way to build a successful online business is to be better than your rivals at undermining people's control of their own attention.
* (transitive) To allow to be or do without interference; to not disturb or meddle with; to leave alone.
    Let me be!
** 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto VI”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 16:Yet neither spinnes nor cardes, ne cares nor frets, / But to her mother Nature all her care she lets.
* (transitive) To allow the release of (a fluid).
    The physicians let about a pint of his blood, but to no avail.
* (transitive, chiefly British) To allow possession of (a property etc.) in exchange for rent.
    I decided to let the farmhouse to a couple while I was working abroad.
** 1965, Roger Miller, “King Of The Road”:Trailers for sale or rent, rooms to let, fifty cents.
* (transitive) To give, grant, or assign, as a work, privilege, or contract; often with out.
    to let the building of a bridge;  to let out the lathing and the plastering
* (auxiliary, transitive) Used to introduce a first or third person imperative verb construction.
    Let's put on a show!
    Let us have a moment of silence.
    Let me just give you the phone number.
    Let P be the point where AB and OX intersect.
* (transitive, obsolete except with know or be) To cause (+ bare infinitive).
    Can you let me know what time you'll be arriving?
** 1485, Sir Thomas Malory, chapter IV, in Le Morte Darthur, book IV:Soo within a whyle kynge Pellinore cam with a grete hoost and salewed the peple and the kyng and ther was grete ioye made on euery syde. Thenne the kyng lete serche how moche people of his party ther was slayne. And ther were founde but lytel past two honderd men slayne and viij knyȝtes of the table round in their pauelions.So after a while King Pellinore came with a great host and saluted the people and the king, and there was great joy on every side. Then the king let search how many people of his faction were slain. And there were found only a little more than two hundred men slain, and eight knights of the Table Round in their pavilions.
** 1818, John Keats, To—:Time's sea hath been five years at its slow ebb, / Long hours have to and fro let creep the sand […].
** 1854 August 9, Henry D[avid] Thoreau, “The Ponds”, in Walden; or, Life in the Woods, Boston, Mass.: Ticknor and Fields, →OCLC, page 212:What right had the unclean and stupid farmer, whose farm abutted on this sky water, whose shores he has ruthlessly laid bare, to give his name to it? ... Rather let it be named from the fishes that swim in it, the wild fowl or quadrupeds which frequent it, the wild flowers which grow by its shores, or some wild man or child the thread of whose history is interwoven with its own...

##### Usage notes

* The use of “let” to introduce an imperative may sometimes be confused with its use, as its own imperative, in the sense of “to allow”. For example, the sentence “Let me go to the store.” could either be a second-person imperative of “let” (addressing someone who might prevent the speaker from going to the store) or a first-person singular imperative of “go” (not implying any such preventer).

##### Synonyms

* (to allow): allow, permit

##### Derived terms

* buy-to-let
* buy to let
* don't let the bedbugs bite
* don't let the door hit you on the way out
* forlet
* if it's yellow let it mellow
* inlet
* let alone
* let a thousand flowers bloom
* let be
* let blood
* let bygones be bygones
* let crazy stick its dick in you
* let down
* let drive
* let fluffy off the chain
* let fly
* let George do it
* let go
* let her rip
* let he who is without sin cast the first stone
* let him that is without sin cast the first stone
* let him who is without sin cast the first stone
* let in
* let in on
* let into
* let it all hang out
* let it alone
* let it be
* let it be known
* let it crust
* let it snow
* let know
* let lie
* let loose
* let me count the ways
* let me see
* let nature take her course
* let nature take its course
* let Nature take its course
* let off
* let-off
* let off steam
* let on
* let one go
* let one loose
* let one off
* let one rip
* let one's guard down
* let one's hair down
* let one's nuts hang
* let one's short back and sides down
* let out
* let past
* let rip
* let's
* let sleeping dogs lie
* let slide
* let slip
* let someone have it
* let someone loose
* let something ride
* let something slip
* let the buyer beware
* let the cat out
* let the cat out of the bag
* let the chips fall where they may
* let the cobbler stick to his last
* let the devil out
* let the dice fall where they may
* let the dog see the rabbit
* let the door hit you where the good Lord split you
* let the good times roll
* let the grass grow round one's feet
* let the grass grow under one's feet
* let the matter drop
* let them have it
* let the perfect be the enemy of the good
* let there be light
* let the sleeping dogs lie
* let this cup pass from me
* let through
* let up
* let us
* let us count the ways
* let us go
* let well alone
* let well enough alone
* live and let live
* live-and-let-live
* offlet
* outlet
* re-let
* ship and let ship
* sublet
* take the cash and let the credit go
* to let
* underlet

##### Translations
#### Noun

let (plural lets)
* The allowing of possession of a property etc. in exchange for rent.
** 1854, Charles Dickens, Christmas Stories‎, page 317:Then he says “You would call it a Good Let, Madam?” “O certainly a Good Let sir.”

### Etymology 2

Derived from Middle English letten (“to hinder, delay”), from Old English lettan (“to hinder, delay”; literally, “to make late”), from Proto-West Germanic *lattjan, from Proto-Germanic *latjaną. Akin to Old English latian (“to delay”), Dutch letten, Old English læt (“late”). More at late, delay.

#### Verb

let (third-person singular simple present lets, present participle letting, simple past letted, past participle let)
* (archaic) To hinder, prevent, impede, hamper, cumber; to obstruct (someone or something).
** 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, 2 Thessalonians 2:7:He who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
** 1859, Alfred Tennyson, “Elaine”, in Idylls of the King, London: Edward Moxon & Co., […], →OCLC, page 152:Sir King, mine ancient wound is hardly whole, / And lets me from the saddle; […]
* (obsolete) To prevent someone from doing something; also to prevent something from happening.
** 1485, Thomas Malory, Le Morte Darthur Book XXI, Chapter ii, leaf 421r:& there was syr Mordred redy awaytynge vpon his londage to lette his owne fader to lāde vp the lande that he was kyng ouer. "And there was Sir Mordred ready awaiting upon his landing, to let his own father to land upon the land that he was king over."
** 1526, [William Tyndale, transl.], The Newe Testamẽt […] (Tyndale Bible), [Worms, Germany: Peter Schöffer], →OCLC, Acts viij:And as they went on their waye, they cam unto a certayne water, and the gelded man sayde: Se here is water, what shall lett me to be baptised?
* (obsolete) To tarry or delay.
** 1826, Early Metrical Tales; Including the History of Sir Egeir, Sir Gryme, and Sir Gray-Steill, Edinburgh, The History of Sir Eger, Sir Grahame, And Sir Gray-Steel, page 7:And for that strake I would not let, / Another upon him soon I set, […]

#### Noun

let (plural lets)
* An obstacle or hindrance.
** 1552 June 22 (Gregorian calendar), Hugh Latimer, Augustine Bernher, compiler, “Sermon XXV. Preached on the Twenty First Sunday after Trinity.”, in The Sermons of the Right Reverend Father in God, Master Hugh Latimer, Bishop of Worcester. […], volume II, London: […] J. Scott, […], published 1758, →OCLC, page 541:[E]ver conſider vvhether our doings be to the let of our ſalvation or not.The spelling has been modernized.
** 1567, Ovid, “The Third Booke”, in Arthur Golding, transl., The XV. Bookes of P. Ouidius Naso, Entytuled Metamorphosis, […], London: […] Willyam Seres […], →OCLC, lines 60–61:And Cadmus saw his campanie make tarience in that sort / He marveld what should be their let, and went to seeke them out.
** 1603, Michel de Montaigne, chapter 16, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes […], book II, London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], →OCLC:Paulus Emilius going to the glorious expedition of Macedon, advertised the people of Rome during his absence not to speake of his actions: For the licence of judgements is an especiall let in great affaires.
* (tennis) The hindrance caused by the net during serve, only if the ball falls legally.

##### Derived terms

* without let or hindrance

##### Translations
### References

* The Dictionary of the Scots Language

### Anagrams

* ELT, ETL, LTE, TEL, TLE, Tel., elt, tel

## Champenois
### Alternative forms

* (Rémois) leuil, leil
* (Langrois) leu

### Etymology

Inherited from Old French lit, from Latin lectus.

### Pronunciation

IPA: /lɛ/

### Noun

let m (plural lets)
* (Troyen, Langrois) bed

### References

* Daunay, Jean (1998) Parlers de Champagne : Pour un classement thématique du vocabulaire des anciens parlers de Champagne (Aube - Marne - Haute-Marne)‎ (in French), Rumilly-lés-Vaudes
* Baudoin, Alphonse (1885) Glossaire de la forêt de Clairvaux‎ (in French), Troyes

## Czech
### Pronunciation

* IPA: [ˈlɛt]
* Audio:(file)
* Homophone: led

### Etymology 1

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *letъ.

#### Noun

let m inan
* flight (the act of flying)

##### Related terms

* letět
* letový

### Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

#### Noun

let n
* genitive plural of léto

### Further reading

* “let”, in Příruční slovník jazyka českého (in Czech), 1935–1957
* “let”, in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého (in Czech), 1960–1971, 1989
* “let”, in Internetová jazyková příručka (in Czech), 2008–2025

## Danish
### Etymology 1

Derived from Old Norse léttr, from Proto-Germanic *linhtaz, cognate with Swedish lätt, English light and German leicht.

#### Pronunciation

* IPA: [ˈlɛd̥]

#### Adjective

let (plural and definite singular attributive lette)
* light (not heavy)
* easy
* slight
* mild

##### Inflection

$^1$ When an adjective is applied predicatively to something definite, the corresponding "indefinite" form is used. $^2$ The "indefinite" superlatives may not be used attributively.

##### Synonyms

* (easy): nem, enkel

#### Adverb

let
* lightly
* easily
* slightly
* mildly

#### References

* “let,2” in Den Danske Ordbog

### Etymology 2

Abbreviation of letmælk.

#### Pronunciation

* IPA: [ˈlɛd̥]

#### Noun

let c (singular definite letten, plural indefinite let)
* low-fat milk

##### Declension
#### References

* “let,1” in Den Danske Ordbog

### Etymology 3

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

#### Pronunciation

* IPA: [ˈlɛd̥]

#### Verb

let
* imperative of lette

### Etymology 4

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

#### Pronunciation

* IPA: [ˈleˀd̥]

#### Verb

let
* past participle of le

## Dutch
### Pronunciation

* Audio:(file)
* Rhymes: -ɛt

### Verb

let
* inflection of letten:
** first/second/third-person singular present indicative
** imperative

### Anagrams

* tel

## French
### Etymology

Borrowed from English let.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /lɛt/
* Audio:(file)

### Interjection

let
* (tennis) indicates a let on service

### Further reading

* “let”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

## Friulian
### Etymology

Inherited from Latin lēctus, perfect passive participle of legō.

### Verb

let
* past participle of lei (“read”)

## Gothic
### Romanization

lēt
* Romanization of 𐌻𐌴𐍄

## Irish
### Alternative forms

* led

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /lʲɛt̪ˠ/

### Contraction

let (triggers lenition)
* (Munster) Contraction of le do (“with your sg”).
    let thoil ― please

#### Related terms

| Basic form | Contracted with | Contracted with | Contracted with | Contracted with | Contracted with | Contracted with | Contracted with | Copular forms | Copular forms | Copular forms |
| Basic form | an (“the sg”) | na (“the pl”) | mo (“my”) | do (“your”) | a (“his, her, their; which (present)”) | ár (“our”) | ar (“which (past)”) | (before consonant) | (present/future before vowel) | (past/conditional before vowel) |
| de (“from”) | den | de na desna* | de mo dem* | de do ded*, det* | dá | dár | dár | dar | darb | darbh |
| do (“to, for”) | don | do na dosna* | do mo dom* | do do dod*, dot* | dá | dár | dár | dar | darb | darbh |
| faoi (“under, about”) | faoin | faoi na | faoi mo | faoi do | faoina | faoinár | faoinar | faoinar | faoinarb | faoinarbh |
| i (“in”) | sa, san | sna | i mo im* | i do id*, it* | ina | inár | inar | inar | inarb | inarbh |
| le (“with”) | leis an | leis na | le mo lem* | le do led*, let* | lena | lenár | lenar | lenar | lenarb | lenarbh |
| ó (“from, since”) | ón | ó na ósna* | ó mo óm* | ó do ód*, ót* | óna | ónár | ónar | ónar | ónarb | ónarbh |
| trí (“through”) | tríd an | trí na | trí mo | trí do | trína | trínár | trínar | trínar | trínarb | trínarbh |
| *Dialectal. |||||||||||

## North Frisian
### Alternative forms

* leet (Föhr-Amrum)
* lätje (Mooring)

### Etymology

Inherited from Old Frisian lēta, from Proto-West Germanic *lātan.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: [lɛt]

### Verb

let
* (Sylt) to let

#### Conjugation
## Norwegian Bokmål
### Etymology 1

Derived from Old Norse litr (“colour”), related to líta (“to see”).

#### Noun

let m (definite singular leten, indefinite plural leter, definite plural letene)
* color / colour

##### Synonyms

* farge

##### Derived terms

* hamlet

### Etymology 2
#### Verb

let
* imperative of lete

### References

* “let” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

## Norwegian Nynorsk
### Etymology 1

Inherited from Old Norse litr (“colour”), from Proto-Germanic *wlitiz, *wlituz. Related to Old Norse líta (“to see”).

#### Alternative forms

* (non-standard since 2012) lett

#### Noun

let m (definite singular leten, indefinite plural leter or letar, definite plural letene or letane)
* color / colour
    Synonym: farge

##### Derived terms

* einleta
* hamlet

### Etymology 2
#### Verb

let
* present tense of la
* present of lata
* past tense of la
* past of lata

### Etymology 3
#### Verb

let
* imperative of leta

### Further reading

* “let” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

### Anagrams

* elt, etl, lèt, lét, tel

## Old English
### Pronunciation

* IPA: /leːt/

### Verb

lēt
* first/third-person singular preterite indicative of lǣtan

## Serbo-Croatian
### Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *letъ.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /lêːt/

### Noun

lȇt m (Cyrillic spelling ле̑т)
* flight

#### Related terms

* lèteti

### References

* “let”, in Hrvatski jezični portal [Croatian language portal] (in Serbo-Croatian), 2006–2025

## Slovene
### Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *letъ.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /lɛ́t/

### Noun

lȅt m inan
* flight

#### Inflection
## Tok Pisin
### Etymology

Derived from English leather.

### Noun

let
* leather
* strap (of leather)
* belt