Main Entry: ¹pa·role

Pronunciation: \pə-ˈrōl\

Function: noun

Etymology: French, speech, parole, from Middle French, from Late Latin parabola speech — more at parable

Date: 1531

1 : a promise made with or confirmed by a pledge of one's honor; especially : the promise of a prisoner of war to fulfill stated conditions in consideration of his release
2 : a watchword given only to officers of the guard and of the day
3 : a conditional release of a prisoner serving an indeterminate or unexpired sentence
4 a : language viewed as a specific individual usage : performance b : a linguistic act — compare langue

— parole adjective