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
verbparoled; paroling
Definition of parole (Entry 2 of 2)
: to release (a prisoner) on parole
Keep scrolling for more
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.
See More
Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Awry From an August 2020 parole hearing for Mark David Chapman, who was sentenced to twenty years to life in prison in 1981 for killing John Lennon.
—
Christopher Beha, Harpers Magazine, "Archive: 2021," 5 Jan. 2021 If released, Shmurda will be under parole supervision but any bad behavior could nullify his early conditional release.
—
Rania Aniftos, Billboard, "Bobby Shmurda Could Be Released Early From Prison," 4 Jan. 2021 Jail records show he was also wanted on warrants at the time of his arrest and violated his parole.
—
Stephanie Pagones, Fox News, "Florida man accused of suggesting he was police officer during sexual battery, robbery attack: cops," 1 Jan. 2021 Last month, the Justice Department announced that Pollard had completed his parole.
—
Washington Post, "Convicted spy Jonathan Pollard arrives in Israel in latest Trump parting gift," 30 Dec. 2020 But after serving 30 years in federal prison, he was released on Nov. 20, 2015, and placed on a five-year parole period that ended in November.
—
Bradford Betz, Fox News, "Convicted spy who sold US military secrets arrives in Israel, granted citizenship," 31 Dec. 2020 Fox Richardson’s many guises, from raucous homegirl to polite parole petitioner to saleslady with straightened hair and pearl necklace, suggests a bodacious Vivica Fox character.
—
Armond White, National Review, "The 100 Percent Pure Cliché of Prison-Reform Activism," 30 Dec. 2020 The federal court voted two to one in favor of giving them parole on Christmas Eve, after the Ethiopian attorney general, Gedion Timothewos, requested leniency because of their old age.
—
Eoin Mcsweeney, CNN, "Ethiopian war criminals able to leave Italian embassy after nearly 30 years," 30 Dec. 2020 But after serving 30 years in federal prison, he was released on Nov. 20, 2015, and placed on a five-year parole period that ended in November.
—
Josef Federman, BostonGlobe.com, "Convicted US spy Pollard arrives in Israel," 30 Dec. 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb His fifth novel powerfully illuminates every corner of the law-and-order universe — from drive-by shootings to cops to courts, from corrections officers to parole agents and beyond.
—
Paula L. Woods, Los Angeles Times, "How an outsider novelist nailed ‘The System’ of crime and punishment in South L.A.," 2 Dec. 2020 Six months later, he was released from home arrest and transitioned to parole.
—
Ronald J. Hansen, The Arizona Republic, "Rep. Debbie Lesko's past includes debt, criminal charge she links to 'con-man' ex-husband," 24 Oct. 2020 Before the initiative, the Secretary of State visited prisons four times a year and provided IDs to roughly 400 to 500 people annually, only about 5% of those who parole each year.
—
Angie Jackson, Detroit Free Press, "COVID-19 adds more challenges to reentry after prison: 'It's really a whole new game'," 8 Sep. 2020 Though North Carolina's current law eliminates parole for crimes committed on or after October 1994, Demery was eligible because he was sentenced before the change in guidelines, according to a statement from the commission.
—
NBC News, "Man convicted of killing Michael Jordan's father gets parole date," 19 Aug. 2020 He was paroled in 2000 and discharged from that sentence in 2002, Texas Department of Criminal Justice officials said.
—
Brian Chasnoff, ExpressNews.com, "San Antonio police chief: Out-of-state ‘extremists’ infiltrating peaceful protests," 1 June 2020 After he was paroled, Mr. Guadalupe moved into a federal halfway house in the Bronx.
—
Katherine Rosman, New York Times, "Feel Like You’re in Prison? These Trainers Actually Were," 14 Apr. 2020 Clair spent 17 years in prison on a murder conviction before she was paroled in 1976.
—
USA TODAY, "Leaning Tower of Dallas, John Glenn, blue lobster: News from around our 50 states," 20 Feb. 2020 Craig also said Parks was first arrested at age 14 for a home invasion and that he was paroled this year after serving about eight years in prison for a weapons conviction.
—
chicagotribune.com, "Man, 28, charged with killing Detroit police Officer Rasheen McClain with assault rifle," 3 Dec. 2019
See MoreThese 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.
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
More Definitions for parole
parole
nounEnglish 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
nounpa·role | \ pə-ˈrōl \
\Kids Definition of parole
: an early release of a prisoner
parole
nounpa·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
Keep scrolling for more
parole
nounpa·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
Keep scrolling for more
Comments on parole
What made you want to look up parole? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Test Your Vocabulary
Slippery Words Quiz—Changing with the Times
- What is an earlier meaning of nice?
Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!
TAKE THE QUIZ
Spell words. Make bears.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridgedWords at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games
- Slippery Words Quiz—Changing with the Times
Do you know these earlier meanings of words?
Take the quiz - Words of Snow and Ice Quiz
A selection of words from the chillier parts of t...
Take the quiz - How Strong Is Your Vocabulary?
Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!
Take the quiz - Play the game
Share parole
Time Traveler for parole
The first known use of parole was in 1531
See more words from the same year