parole

1 of 2

noun

pa·​role pə-ˈrōl 

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 their 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

parole adjective

parole

2 of 2

verb

paroled; paroling

transitive verb

: to release (a prisoner) on parole

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

In August 2007, Adamcik and Draper were found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, as well as 30 years to life for conspiracy to commit murder, per the Associated Press. —Nicole Acosta, PEOPLE, 4 Feb. 2026

Authorities said operations focused on corridors known for prostitution, and also involved parole and probation checks for individuals with criminal records. —Los Angeles Times, 3 Feb. 2026

Verb

In a statement to CNN, the Dera said Singh was entitled to parole like thousands of other prisoners in the state. —Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 6 Feb. 2026

Zeno hired Ruhani — who was paroled in 2022 after 26 years in state prison for a robbery conviction — as a client advocate in October 2023. —John Annese, New York Daily News, 3 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

borrowed from French, "speech, expression in words, word, promise," going back to Old French, going back to Gallo-Romance *paraula, going back to Late Latin parabola "comparison, allegory, proverb, discourse, speech"; (sense 4) after the use of parole in this sense by Ferdinand de saussure in Cours de linguistique générale (1916) — more at parable

Verb

derivative of parole entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

1531, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1776, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for parole

• bankroll
• bedroll
• borehole
• cajole
• catchpole
• charcoal
• condole
• control
• dipole
• downhole
• enroll
• extol

Kids Definition

parole

1 of 2 noun

pa·​role pə-ˈrōl 

: an early release of a prisoner who meets specified requirements

parole

2 of 2 verb

paroled; paroling

: to release on parole

parolee

pə-ˌrō-ˈlē

noun

Medical Definition

parole

noun

pa·​role pə-ˈrōl 

: 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

Legal Definition

parole

noun

pa·​role pə-ˈrōl 

: 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

Etymology

Noun

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