parole

¹

[puh-rohl]

noun

1. Penology.

   1. the conditional release of a person from prison prior to the end of the maximum sentence imposed.

   2. such release or its duration.

   3. an official document authorizing such a release.

2. Military.

   1. the promise, usually written, of a prisoner of war, that if released they either will return to custody at a specified time or will not again take up arms against their captors.

   2. (formerly) any password given by authorized personnel in passing by a guard.

3. word of honor given or pledged.

4. (in U.S. immigration laws) the temporary admission of non-U.S. citizens into the United States for emergency reasons or on grounds considered in the public interest, as authorized by and at the discretion of the attorney general.

verb (used with object)

paroled, paroling 

1. to place or release on parole.

2. to admit (a non-U.S. citizen) into the United States for emergency reasons or on grounds considered in the public interest.

   An increased number of Hungarian refugees were paroled into the United States.

adjective

1. of or relating to parole or parolees.

   a parole record.

parole

²

[pa-rawl]

noun

French.

1. language as manifested in the actual utterances produced by speakers of a language (langue ).

parole

/ pəˈrəʊl, pəˌrəʊˈliː /

noun

1. 1. the freeing of a prisoner before his sentence has expired, on the condition that he is of good behaviour

   2. the duration of such conditional release

2. a promise given by a prisoner, as to be of good behaviour if granted liberty or partial liberty

3. a variant spelling of parol

4. military a password

5. linguistics language as manifested in the individual speech acts of particular speakers Compare langue performance competence

6. 1. conditionally released from detention

   2. informal,  (of a person) under scrutiny, esp for a recurrence of an earlier shortcoming

verb

1. to place (a person) on parole

Other Word Forms

• parolee noun
• parolable adjective
• unparolable adjective
• unparoled adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of parole¹

First recorded in 1610–20; from Middle French, short for parole d'honneur “word of honor”. See parol

Word History and Origins

Origin of parole¹

C17: from Old French, from the phrase parole d'honneur word of honour; parole from Late Latin parabola speech

Example Sentences

If convicted, Prowell faces life in prison without parole or the death penalty, prosecutors said in a statement.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Stephen Lawrence's killer David Norris is not safe to be released from prison, a psychologist has told a parole hearing.

Read more on BBC

Nania told the parole board he joined a gang at 13.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

A statement from Baroness Doreen Lawrence was read by her lawyer to a public parole hearing for Norris.

Read more on BBC

Mosley, who was 46 when he was jailed, was released on parole in 2021 before being sent back to prison the following year for breaching the terms of his release.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• let out 
• liberate 
• pardon