probation officer

American  

noun

probation officers plural

1. an officer who investigates and reports on the conduct of offenders who are free on probation.

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probation officer British  

noun

1. an officer of a court who supervises offenders placed on probation and assists and befriends them

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• probation officers
  plural

Etymology

Origin of probation officer

An Americanism dating back to 1895–1900

Example Sentences

It takes more than a year to train a probation officer.

From BBC • Mar. 19, 2026

But one probation officer said the new zones would put more pressure on the service when it was already struggling to monitor the number of offenders in the community.

From BBC • Aug. 7, 2025

“It’s almost as if the probation officer is one of the kids,” Gunsberg said.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 21, 2025

He stayed until he was 23 and now lives back in London working as a probation officer.

From BBC • Mar. 15, 2025

One to a parent or guardian, the other to your employer if you have a job, or your probation officer if you’re on probation.

From "The 57 Bus" by Dashka Slater