parole

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

4 a :language viewed as a specific individual usage :performance

b :a linguistic act — compare langue

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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

Additional convictions could affect Hoegel’s possibility of parole, but there are no consecutive sentences in Germany.

— david rising, The Seattle Times, "Prosecutors expect to charge German nurse with more killings," 29 Aug. 2017
But Trump issued a pair of executive actions in January that directed DHS to bolster immigration enforcement, including eliminating CAM parole.

— david nakamura, Washington Post, "Hispanic leaders in Congress call end of protection program for Central American minors ‘morally indefensible’," 29 Aug. 2017
The professor, Amy Bishop, was convicted of murder and is serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole.

— AL.com, "These true crime books detail 7 of Alabama's most sensational cases," 29 Aug. 2017
The asylum official does not know that the wife was interviewed and received it (parole).

— nora gámez torres, miamiherald, "U.S. detention strategy for asylum seekers: release the women, lock up the men," 29 Aug. 2017
Police reports and court records show that Franklin had a criminal record including a robbery conviction, and a warrant had been issued for his arrest on an alleged parole violation months before the encounter.

— dan hinkel, chicagotribune.com, "Chicago cops get more Tasers, but red flags remain," 25 Aug. 2017
Without even realizing it, most of them have chosen life without parole.

— lori gottlieb, The Cut, "What Your Therapist Really Thinks: ‘I Have a Secret That’s Torturing Me!’," 11 Aug. 2017
A Denton parole officer was arrested this week after investigators caught him receiving hydrocodone pills from a parolee outside of his office, police said Wednesday.

— ryan osborne, star-telegram, "Denton parole officer got illegal pills from parolee, police say," 2 Aug. 2017
Because of no previous criminal history, the two were sentenced to community service and informal probation — meaning they will not be required to report to or be supervised by a parole officer.

— andy nguyen, Burbank Leader, "Pair of porch package thieves admitted to thefts, Burbank police say," 20 July 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

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

Medina had been paroled from prison about six months prior to the shooting.

— dan campana, Aurora Beacon-News, "Aurora man pleads not guilty to Grove Street slaying," 18 Aug. 2017
He was reportedly paroled in 2010 and later lost a job at an IT firm because of his criminal history.

— yvonne juris, PEOPLE.com, "Toronto Man Murdered Mom and Brothers with Crossbow Bolts Weeks Before His Wedding," 31 July 2017
Ulysses S. Grant amnestied (technically: paroled) Confederate soldiers and officers at Appomattox, even allowing them to keep a horse for the planting.

— charles krauthammer, National Review, "The Consequences of the Sessions Affair," 27 July 2017
But it was later revealed that the three board members who paroled Komisarjevsky didn't have transcripts from his 2002 sentencing for burglarizing homes in three communities.

— hartford courant, courant.com, "10 Years Later, Cheshire Tragedy Remains Source Of Grief, Shock," 19 July 2017
Prosecutors declined to comment on the likelihood of Simpson being paroled.

— paul vercammen, CNN, "O.J. Simpson could be released as early as October," 13 July 2017
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

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

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

noun pa·role \ pə-ˈrōl \

Definition of parole for Students

:an early release of a prisoner

Medical Dictionary

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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parolable

adjective

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parole

transitive verb paroled; paroling

Law Dictionary

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

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