on probation
idiom
1
: 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.
2
: 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.
3
: 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
Prowell has a criminal history and is on probation for a string of burglaries executed between 2019 and 2021 in LA and Beverly Hills.
—
Taylor Ardrey, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2025
At the time, the actor was apparently on probation after pleading no contest to misdemeanor battery over allegedly assaulting girlfriend Brittany Ashland.
—Brenton Blanchet, PEOPLE, 9 Sep. 2025
The prosecutor said Dieringer was on probation at the time of the slaying and had prior felony convictions that included animal cruelty.
—Christine Pelisek, People.com, 8 Sep. 2025
In a plea deal, Fields was given a seven-year prison sentence with six-and-a-half years to be served on probation, according to the Mountain Eagle newspaper, but the civil case continued, and Stines testified in a deposition only three days before the murder.
—Andy Rose, CNN Money, 6 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for on probation
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Taylor Ardrey, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2025
At the time, the actor was apparently on probation after pleading no contest to misdemeanor battery over allegedly assaulting girlfriend Brittany Ashland.
—Brenton Blanchet, PEOPLE, 9 Sep. 2025
The prosecutor said Dieringer was on probation at the time of the slaying and had prior felony convictions that included animal cruelty.
—Christine Pelisek, People.com, 8 Sep. 2025
In a plea deal, Fields was given a seven-year prison sentence with six-and-a-half years to be served on probation, according to the Mountain Eagle newspaper, but the civil case continued, and Stines testified in a deposition only three days before the murder.
—Andy Rose, CNN Money, 6 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for on probation
Cite this Entry
“On probation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/on%20probation. Accessed 13 Sep. 2025.
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