probationary

American  

[proh-bey-shuh-ner-ee] / proʊˈbeɪ ʃəˌnɛr i /

Rarely probational

adjective

1. being or relating to an act, process, or period of testing, as of a person’s character, performance, qualifications, etc..

   All our new hires have probationary status until their three-month review.

2. Law.

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

      The judge’s options include sending the minor to a probationary camp for juvenile offenders.

   2. relating to conditional release.

      Clients who have completed the probationary period are discharged from the program and released from their prison sentence.

3. Education. being or relating to a trial period or condition of students who are being permitted to redeem academic failures, misconduct, etc..

   Remediation plans for each probationary student must be submitted to the department Chair by midterm.

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Other Word Forms

• unprobational
  adjective
• unprobationary
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of probationary

probation ( def. ) + -ary ( def. )

Explanation

Probationary describes a time period or process of testing someone out. At a new job, you may go through a probationary period while your boss considers whether you're a good fit. Probationary comes from the Latin probare, "to test." When someone's convicted of a nonviolent crime, they sometimes serve a probationary term, when they have to be on their best behavior. This kind of test period is common in employment, too; many new workers have to wait weeks before they qualify for benefits. You might even have a probationary period for your new dog: "Let's give him a few days and see if he gets along with the cat!"

Example Sentences

Probationary employees represent about 5% of full-time staff at the park service.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 20, 2025

A great rescue effort by Probationary Firefighter Kojo Saunders of Engine 10 in Trinidad.

From Washington Post • May 30, 2022

"Probationary constable misbehaviour needs to be dealt with early on," he says.

From BBC • Feb. 11, 2022

Probationary sentences “should not necessarily become the default,” prosecutors wrote.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 29, 2021

Churchill, Lloyd, Colman, the author of the Probationary Odes, and, if I remember right, Paul Whitehead and Wolcot, all levelled their shafts at him in turn.

From Lives of the English Poets From Johnson to Kirke White, Designed as a Continuation of Johnson's Lives by Cary, Henry Francis

Related Words

• empirical
• preliminary
• unproved