probation

American  

[proh-bey-shuhn] / proʊˈbeɪ ʃən /

noun

• probations
  plural

1. the act of testing.

2. the testing or trial of a person's conduct, character, qualifications, or the like.

3. the state or period of such testing or trial.

4. Law.

   1. a method of dealing with offenders, especially young persons guilty of minor crimes or first offenses, by allowing them to go at large under supervision of a probation officer.

   2. the state of having been conditionally released.

5. Education. a trial period or condition of students in certain educational institutions who are being permitted to redeem failures, misconduct, etc.

6. the testing or trial of a candidate for membership in a religious body or order, for holy orders, etc.

7. Archaic. proof.

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probation British  

/ prəˈbeɪʃən /

noun

1. a system of dealing with offenders by placing them under the supervision of a probation officer

2. 1. under the supervision of a probation officer

   2. undergoing a test period

3. a trial period, as for a teacher, religious novitiate, etc

4. the act of proving or testing

5. a period during which a new employee may have his employment terminated on the grounds of unsuitability

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonprobation
  noun
• probationship
  noun
• probational
  adjective
• probationary
  adjective
• probationally
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• probations
  plural

Etymology

Origin of probation

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English probacion, from Latin probātiōn- (stem of probātiō ); see probate, -ion

Explanation

A probation is a period of time when a criminal needs to be on their best behavior: they're not in jail (yet or anymore) but they have to do certain things demanded by the court. Being put on criminal probation is like getting a second chance before more serious penalties apply: you might have to pay a fine, do community service, or be monitored to make sure you don’t get into any more trouble. Some criminals are released from jail early and put on probation. People also talk about probation for non-criminal issues: there could be a probation period for joining a club, when they check you out before deciding to let you in.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

probation probations

And those consequences tend to be mild: Several incidents in the Washington Post piece resulted in probation for offenders who used Flock inappropriately.

From Salon ● Aug. 17, 2026

During the visit, guards saw Randall try to pass a blue balloon to her son, a deputy probation officer wrote in the report.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026

According to the chief inspector, probation caseload has increased by 8% over the last two years.

From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026

He pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge in 2019 of burning lands that belonged to another and paid $600 in court fees while serving 36 months of probation, according to court records.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026

Throughout the United States, people who are newly released from prison are required to make payments to a host of agencies, including probation departments, courts, and child-support enforcement offices.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander

A trained barrister, he is a former solicitor general for England and Wales, and has been prisons and probations minister.

From BBC ● Apr. 21, 2023

Documents may include formal accusations, which detail allegations of gross negligence and other violations; letters of reprimand; and disciplinary orders spelling out stipulated agreements, suspensions, revocations and probations.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2021

Their protests earned them 12-month probations from the U.S.

From Washington Post ● Jun. 5, 2020

The terms of the probations haven’t been announced, however.

From Washington Times ● Nov. 12, 2015

To purify me the more from the mixture I might make of His gifts with my own self-love, He gave me interior probations, which were very heavy.

From The Autobiography of Madame Guyon by Jeanne Marie Bouvier de la Motte Guyon

Related Words

• trial