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)

, pa·roled, pa·rol·ing.

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. See parol
   a variant spelling of parol
4. military a password
5. See competence, performance, langue
   linguistics language as manifested in the individual speech acts of particular speakers Compare langue performance competence
6. on parole
   on parole
   1. conditionally released from detention
   2. (of a person) under scrutiny, esp for a recurrence of an earlier shortcoming

verb

1. to place (a person) on parole

Derived Forms

• paˈrolable, adjective
• parolee, noun

Other Words From

• pa·rola·ble adjective
• unpa·rola·ble adjective
• unpa·roled adjective

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

The day before, he had unsuccessfully tried to amend it to mandate life without parole for capital offenses.

From Washington Post

Run by Stacey Putka, who used to provide counseling to men on parole, it’s just one of many education schemes—public and private—to help those in US prisons have a better life once they’re not.

From Popular-Science

In that film, he was responsible for making sure Ant-Man didn’t violate his parole.

From Time

A conviction on each charge should come with mandatory jail time — up to five years with no parole, in this case — according to state law.

From ProPublica

The Department of Homeland Security should have paroled the family into the United States, so the newborn and his mother could access medical care, he said.

From Voice of San Diego

On his eighth try, more than three decades after he went in, the parole board finally voted to release Sam.

From The Daily Beast

Denied parole nine straight times, he insists he is innocent of the crime for which he was convicted.

From The Daily Beast

As a free man, even on parole, I can sense that my life has value again.

From The Daily Beast

They were waiting for the next visit from their children, for the next parole hearing, for any word from the “outside.”

From The Daily Beast

In 1987, Atkins was married again, to attorney James Whitehouse, who had represented her some of her final parole hearings.

From The Daily Beast

The parole was easily secured, but a week passed before they considered it safe to move Randolph.

From Project Gutenberg

The account of the Four Masters, who say nothing of his having given parole, cannot be reconciled with the dates.

From Project Gutenberg

Look here; tell her that in view of the delay, it is my judgment that she ought to enlarge the accused on his parole.

From Project Gutenberg

The parole of a Rohan is all very well, but only for me, and the brothers will want to know yonder how I employ their money.

From Project Gutenberg

The prisoners always respected their parole on wood-chopping expeditions, and went out and came in at the main entrance.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• let out
• liberate
• pardon