on probation

idiom

: being tested and watched at a new job to see if one is able to do the job properly

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

: being allowed to stay out of prison after committing a crime if one behaves well, does not commit another crime, etc.

She was arrested while on probation.

: being watched for a period of time during which one must behave well in order not to be seriously punished after having made a serious mistake or done something bad

He was on probation for cheating.

The student was put/placed on probation for copying test answers.

Examples of on probation in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Once released, Dykes is expected to serve two years on probation, Price said Tuesday. —

Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, 16 July 2024 Court records show he was sentenced to 30 days in jail and placed back on probation. —

Darrell Smith, Sacramento Bee, 8 June 2024 The former officers were sentenced to three years on probation and had to surrender their police certifications. —

Katie Moore, Kansas City Star, 29 May 2024 According to a Florida Department of Health administrative complaint reviewed by USA TODAY, gastroenterologist Dr. Ishwari Prasad was placed on probation by the state's Board of Medicine after two colonoscopy procedures went wrong under his care. —

Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA TODAY, 16 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for on probation

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'on probation.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.