on probation

idiom

1

: being tested and watched at a new job to see if one is able to do the job properly

As a new employee, I will be on probation for three months.

2

: being allowed to stay out of prison after committing a crime if one behaves well, does not commit another crime, etc.

She was arrested while on probation.

3

: being watched for a period of time during which one must behave well in order not to be seriously punished after having made a serious mistake or done something bad

He was on probation for cheating.

The student was put/placed on probation for copying test answers.

Examples of on probation in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Police said the suspect was a transient man living in the area and was on probation. —Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 22 May 2025

That December, he was sentenced to seven days at a DUI education center and two years on probation, along with being ordered to pay a $350 fine and court fees. —Marina Watts, People.com, 16 May 2025

In 2020, Watkins and the dental board reached a settlement that placed Watkins on probation for 35 months. —Karen Kucher, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 June 2025

Scott Whipple, 27, will be on probation for five years after serving the six-year term, the New Haven Register reported. —Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 29 May 2025

Rhymes for on probation

• abdication
• aberration
• abjuration
• abnegation
• abrogation
• acceptation
• acclamation
• acclimation
• accusation
• activation
• actuation
• acylation