SINCE 1828
parole
noun
pa·role
| \ pə-ˈrōl
\
\
Definition of parole
(Entry 1 of 2)
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 : performance
b
: a linguistic act — compare langue
parole
verb
paroled;
paroling
Definition of parole (Entry 2 of 2)
: to release (a prisoner) on parole
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Examples of parole in a Sentence
Noun
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 on the Web: Noun
February 22, 2019 Nicholas Godejohn was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for first-degree murder, and a concurrent 25-year sentence on the charge of armed criminal action. — Emma Dibdin, Harper's BAZAAR, "A Complete Timeline of Dee Dee Blanchard's Murder and Gypsy Blanchard's Trial," 3 Apr. 2019 He was sentenced to life without parole for murder, court records show. — Joshua Sharpe, ajc, "DeKalb gangster gets 8 years prison in deadly home invasion," 30 June 2018 His absenteeism rate shot from nonexistent up to 10 percent as his new employees skipped work for drug court, anger management classes and appointments with their probation and parole officers. — Tracy Jan, chicagotribune.com, "GOP lawmakers have gone quiet on this popular tool to curb illegal immigration," 22 May 2018 The division of probation and parole services needs to step in and review the decision of a probation supervisor in Camdenton who allowed something that most people do for fun to qualify as punitive community service. — kansascity, "Community theater is not sufficient community service in death of Brandon Ellingson," 21 Mar. 2018 Texas rewrote its probation and parole guidelines and expanded treatment options for mental health and drug addiction. — Matt Ford, New Republic, "A Chance for Criminal-Justice Reform Under Trump," 5 Feb. 2018 Berrier, who was out on parole with a previous burglary charge, is being held on $40,000 bond, police said. — Steve Schering, chicagotribune.com, "Chicago man charged in burglary at St. Vincent Ferrer School in River Forest," 28 June 2018 While the change in his sentence means Moore would be eligible for parole, prosecutors say it’s highly unlikely he will be released. — Juan A. Lozano, The Seattle Times, "Supreme Court rules out death penalty for Texas inmate," 19 Feb. 2019 In Iowa, Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds proposed a state constitutional amendment Tuesday to restore voting rights to people who have completed all terms of their sentences, including parole. — Jon Kamp, WSJ, "Push to Give Felons the Vote Shifts to Iowa and Kentucky," 23 Jan. 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
Velasquez, known by his nickname Popeye, was paroled in 2014 after confessing to hundreds of murders and spending 22 years in jail for plotting the murder of a former Colombian presidential candidate. — Fox News, "Colombia re-arrests Pablo Escobar's hitman for extortion," 25 May 2018 During that time, prisoners have received life terms with the possibility they could be paroled if the governor signed off — and Blumberg’s commission has recommended release in some cases. — Ann E. Marimow, Washington Post, "Who will stay, who will go free? The question at the heart of a parole commissioner’s job," 19 Mar. 2018 But now Jameson, who has since been paroled, will have another chance to bring his now 16-year-old case. — Greg Moran, sandiegouniontribune.com, "State high court strikes down rule requiring poor to pay for own court reporter in civil courts," 6 July 2018 Lima received the stiffest sentence—16 years at Leavenworth—but was paroled after serving eight. — Peter Duffy, WSJ, "‘Inspector Oldfield and the Black Hand Society’ Review: The Mafia and the Mail," 20 Aug. 2018 Perry spent 10 years in prison before being paroled. — Fox News, "26 years after conviction, 2 exonerated in false rape claim," 8 May 2018 The decision to parole the parents of the younger children was announced hours before the Flores decision was issued. — Kristina Davis, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Trump administration says detained parents must decide whether to keep families intact," 10 July 2018 Bell had requested to be paroled in California to be closer to his family. — Bradford Betz, Fox News, "Wife of cop killer plunged to her death, coroner's office rules," 22 June 2018 After serving 62 months in prison for the murder conspiracy, Townley was paroled in 1983 and placed in the federal witness protection program. — Washington Post, BostonGlobe.com, "Seymour Glanzer, an original Watergate prosecutor, dies at 91," 31 May 2018These 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.
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More Definitions for parole
parole
noun
English Language Learners Definition of parole
(Entry 1 of 2)
: permission given to a prisoner to leave prison before the end of a sentence usually as a reward for behaving well
parole
verbEnglish Language Learners Definition of parole (Entry 2 of 2)
: to release (a prisoner) on parole
See the full definition for parole in the English Language Learners Dictionary
parole
noun
pa·role
| \ pə-ˈrōl
\
\
Kids Definition of parole
: an early release of a prisoner
parole
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
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parole
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
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Comments on parole
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