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

See Examples For:

probation officer

One probation officer told the BBC that missed appointments could lead offenders to break the law again because "crucial information isn't gathered and shared".

From BBC ● Mar. 19, 2026

In May 2025, when the appeal judgement was handed down, Mr Sullivan was listening via video-link from HMP Wakefield, sitting next to his probation officer.

From BBC ● Nov. 19, 2025

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

The only person who insisted on visiting regularly was Garvey, the stocky youth probation officer, who stopped by the detention center almost daily.

From "Touching Spirit Bear" by Ben Mikaelsen