probation

noun

pro·​ba·​tion prō-ˈbā-shən 

1

: critical examination and evaluation or subjection to such examination and evaluation

2

a

: subjection of an individual to a period of testing and trial to ascertain fitness (as for a job or school)

b

: the action of suspending the sentence of a convicted offender and giving the offender freedom during good behavior under the supervision of a probation officer

c

: the state or a period of being subject to probation

probational

prō-ˈbā-sh(ə-)nəl 

adjective

probationally adverb

probationary

prō-ˈbā-shə-ˌner-ē 

adjective

Synonyms of probation

• investigation
• examination
• inquiry
• exploration
• study

Examples of probation in a Sentence

As a new employee, I will be on probation for three months.

He hoped that the judge would grant him probation.

He was sentenced to one year's probation.

He was sent back to prison for violating his probation.

She was arrested while on probation.

Instead of firing her, they put her on probation.

The student was placed on probation for copying test answers.

Recent Examples on the Web

The program is on NCAA probation and has seen many former staffers have run-ins with the law, including Matt Weiss, who is charged with hacking into the computer accounts of thousands of college athletes to find intimate images. — Larry Lage, Chicago Tribune, 20 July 2026

Bell was previously arrested for driving under the influence in 2014, for which he was sentenced to 15 months of probation in 2015. — Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 20 July 2026

Truelove has reportedly traveled through the Sonoran Desert region, according to a 2023 profile in the Los Angeles Times that focused on his bout with homelessness on the West Coast after getting off of probation in Virginia. — Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 20 July 2026

Police said he is suspected of robbery, false imprisonment, and probation violation. — Rick Hurd, Mercury News, 20 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English probacioun, from Middle French & Latin; Middle French probation, from Latin probation-, probatio, from probare

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing probation

• on probation
• probation officer
• put/placed on probation

Rhymes for probation

• ablation
• aeration
• bination
• carnation
• cassation
• castration
• causation
• centration
• cessation
• cetacean
• chelation
• citation

Kids Definition

probation

noun

pro·​ba·​tion prō-ˈbā-shən 

1

: a period of trial for finding out or testing a person's fitness (as for a job or school)

2

: the suspending of a convicted offender's sentence during good behavior under the supervision of a probation officer

probational

-shnəl 

-shən-ᵊl

adjective

probationary

-shə-ˌner-ē 

adjective

Legal Definition

probation

noun

pro·​ba·​tion prō-ˈbā-shən 

1

a

: subjection to a period of evaluation and possible termination at the commencement of employment in a position for which one's fitness is to be determined

b

: subjection to a period of review in the course of employment or education as a result of a violation of standards and with the possibility of dismissal if standards are not met

2

a

: the suspension of all or part of a sentence and its replacement by freedom subject to specific conditions and the supervision of a probation officer

it is the intent of the legislature that the granting of probation shall be a matter of grace conferring no vested right to its continuance

—Michigan Statutes Annotated

called also community supervision

compare diversion, parole

b

: probation as a sentence in itself

c

: the period or state of being subject to probation

arrested while on probation

probational

-shə-nəl 

adjective

probationally adverb

probationary

-shə-ˌner-ē 

adjective

Etymology

Middle French, critical examination and evaluation, from Latin probation-, probatio, from probare to test, approve, prove