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

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

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

During sentencing, Justice Christopher Beale agreed that Patterson's crimes were the worst of their kind, but said his decision to allow parole was influenced by the "harsh prison conditions" she faced.

From BBC

He was paroled from California City, when it was a private prison, for a crime that he didn’t want to talk about because his case is still proceeding through immigration courts.

From Los Angeles Times

Moore, who was sentenced to life in prison but was freed on parole in her final years, was 95.

From BBC

She was reported to fill her time with needlepoint and bookkeeping duties, and was paroled in 2007 at the age of 77 from a low-security federal facility for women in Dublin, east of San Francisco.

From Los Angeles Times

He said he must serve two-thirds of the 16-year sentence before parole could be considered.

From BBC

Related Words

• let out 
• liberate 
• pardon