parole

1 of 2

noun

pa·role pə-ˈrōl

Synonyms of parole next

: 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

: a watchword given only to officers of the guard and of the day

: a conditional release of a prisoner serving an indeterminate or unexpired sentence

: language viewed as a specific individual usage : performance

: 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

Related article Parkland school shooter sentenced to life in prison without parole for 2018 massacre Nikolas Cruz is serving 34 consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole. —

Denise Royal, CNN, 9 Aug. 2024 The board's narrow decision means the fate of Emmanuel Littlejohn, 52, now rests with Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt, who could commute his sentence to life in prison without parole. —

Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 8 Aug. 2024

Verb

Later that year, Mr. Calley was freed on bail and paroled. —

Adam Bernstein, Washington Post, 29 July 2024 Lopez was paroled on June 22, less than a month before the Sunday shooting. —

Jalen Williams, Detroit Free Press, 23 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for parole

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'parole.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler

The first known use of parole was in 1531

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“Parole.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/parole. Accessed 20 Aug. 2024.

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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

Last Updated: 14 Aug 2024 - Updated example sentences

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parole

noun

verb

Examples of parole in a Sentence

Word History

Dictionary Entries Near parole

Cite this Entry

Kids Definition

Medical Definition

Legal Definition