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

Guilty prisoners who admit to their crimes and are released on parole get a place to live and some help with living expenses.

Read more on BBC

The woman, who was on parole, offered to give police information about the Runnymede house.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

He added mitigation was "limited in its nature" and the earliest date of parole had already been set at 2054, when he would be aged 78.

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His sentence carried a minimum term of 16 years before he was eligible to apply for parole - but Mr Sullivan maintained his innocence, lessening his chances of release.

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The couple face life in state prison without the possibility of parole, as well as a consecutive sentence of six years and four months, when they are sentenced Jan. 13.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• let out 
• liberate 
• pardon