parole

play

noun pa·role \pə-ˈrōl\

Definition of parole

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
4a : language viewed as a specific individual usage : performanceb : a linguistic act — compare langue

parole

adjective

See parole defined for English-language learners

See parole defined for kids

Examples of parole in a Sentence

The prisoner will be eligible for parole after three years.
She robbed a bank while out on parole.
The prisoner was released on parole.

Recent Examples of parole from the Web

Trump Jr. meeting six months after the parole ended.

— andrew c. mccarthy, National Review, "The Curious Case of Natalia Veselnitskaya," 19 July 2017
While O.J. Simpson is preparing for Thursday’s parole hearing, where his release from a Nevada prison in October could be sealed, the Kendall house where the football great lived for about seven years is on the market.

— by jose lambiet, miamiherald, "On eve of O.J. Simpson’s parole hearing, his old Miami house hits the market," 18 July 2017
JERUSALEM (AP) — Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was released from prison early Sunday days after a parole board granted him early release from his 27-month corruption sentence.

— ian deitch, The Seattle Times, "Israel’s ex-PM Olmert released from prison," 1 July 2017
Hemmerle will be eligible for parole after the first two years of his sentence, according to Ernie Rutherford, the chief deputy at Meade County Detention Center.

— thomas novelly, The Courier-Journal, "Catholic priest now faces 9 years in prison for sexual abuse," 29 June 2017
BEIJING—Chinese Nobel Peace laureate Liu Xiaobo was released from prison on medical parole, more than seven years into a sentence that drew wide Western condemnation but that ultimately has had few negative consequences for China.

— te-ping chen, WSJ, "Dissident Liu Xiaobo Released From Chinese Prison Following Cancer Diagnosis," 26 June 2017
They will then be transferred into the care of a social service agency, Buncich said, and receive follow up with probation and parole officials.

— craig lyons, Post-Tribune, "Tired of seeing inmates die from opioid addiction, Lake County considers preventive drug option," 23 June 2017
Cedillo said Qjuan Holmes had been wanted since April for violating his parole after allegedly cutting off his ankle monitor.

— deanna boyd, star-telegram.com, "One brother arrested, one sought in robbery, fatal shooting of woman," 23 June 2017
If parole is denied, another hearing date will be set, generally within one to three years.

— Bloomberg.com, "How And Where O.J. Simpson's Parole Hearing Will Take Place," 22 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'parole.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of parole

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1531

See Words from the same year

Other Legal Terms

actionable, alienable, carceral, chattel, complicity, decedent, larceny, malfeasance, modus operandi

parole

verb pa·role

Definition of parole

paroled

;

paroling

transitive verb
: to release (a prisoner) on parole

See parole defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of parole from the Web

John Bonds served seven years in prison for a robbery in the Syracuse area before he was paroled in May 2013, according to state records.

— Alaska Dispatch News, "Police officer shot and killed in ‘unprovoked attack’ in New York City," 5 July 2017
Nere, 37, is currently serving a nine-year sentence and is scheduled to be paroled in 2020 for her role in the death of Augustina Taylor, 31, according to the Illinois Department of Corrections.

— clifford ward, Wheaton Glen Ellyn, "Appeals court upholds conviction in drug death of Wheaton woman," 3 July 2017
He was paroled June 30, 2016 and had a supervision discharge date of Sept. 30 of this year, according to Michigan Department of Corrections records.

— christina hall, Detroit Free Press, "Mt. Clemens man facing second-degree murder in shooting death of 3-year-old boy," 23 June 2017
In Maryland, the governor has final say on whether a person serving a life sentence may be paroled.

— alison knezevich, baltimoresun.com, "D.C. sniper asks for new sentencing in light of Supreme Court rulings on juveniles," 15 June 2017
The driver of the car that day, Norman Edmonds, served about 10 years before being paroled to his home state of Texas.

— Washington Post, "At 87, he hopes to eventually see execution of wife’s killer," 15 June 2017
If Wershe is paroled by the movie's January release date, his journey will make for an interesting epilogue.

— phillip morris, cleveland.com, "Matthew McConaughey's 'White Boy Rick' a tale well worth telling: Phillip Morris," 11 June 2017
The Indiana Department of Correction's website says Brown was paroled in April 2014 after serving 16 ½ months for a robbery conviction.

— crimesider staff, CBS News, "Police: Beauty college gunman upset victim wouldn't date him," 9 June 2017
He was indicted two years later about a month before being paroled in April by the Illinois Department of Corrections on an unrelated gun possession conviction.

— dan campana, Aurora Beacon-News, "Aurora attempted murder suspect may represent self in court," 3 June 2017

First Known Use of parole

1776

Other Legal Terms

actionable, alienable, carceral, chattel, complicity, decedent, larceny, malfeasance, modus operandi

PAROLE Defined for English Language Learners

parole

play

noun

Definition of parole for English Language Learners

: permission given to a prisoner to leave prison before the end of a sentence usually as a reward for behaving well

parole

verb

Definition of parole for English Language Learners

: to release (a prisoner) on parole

PAROLE Defined for Kids

parole

play

noun pa·role \pə-ˈrōl\

Definition of parole for Students

: an early release of a prisoner

Medical Dictionary

parole

play

noun pa·role \pə-ˈrōl\

Medical Definition of parole

: a conditional release given to a psychiatric patient in a hospital before discharge enabling the patient to visit freely various designated areas on the hospital grounds or beyond its limits

parolable

adjective

parole

transitive verb

paroled

;

paroling

Law Dictionary

parole

play

noun pa·role \pə-ˈrōl\

Legal Definition of parole

: a conditional release of a prisoner who has served part of a sentence and who remains under the control of and in the legal custody of a parole authority — compare probation

Origin and Etymology of parole

Old French, speech, word, prisoner's word of honor to fulfill stated conditions, from Late Latin parabola speech, parable, from Greek parabolē comparison