parole
1 Americannoun
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Penology.
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the conditional release of a person from prison prior to the end of the maximum sentence imposed.
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such release or its duration.
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an official document authorizing such a release.
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Military.
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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.
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(formerly) any password given by authorized personnel in passing by a guard.
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word of honor given or pledged.
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(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)
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paroles,
present (3rd person singular)
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paroled,
past participle, past
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paroling
present participle
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to place or release on parole.
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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
noun
noun
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the freeing of a prisoner before his sentence has expired, on the condition that he is of good behaviour
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the duration of such conditional release
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a promise given by a prisoner, as to be of good behaviour if granted liberty or partial liberty
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a variant spelling of parol
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military a password
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linguistics language as manifested in the individual speech acts of particular speakers Compare langue performance competence
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conditionally released from detention
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informal (of a person) under scrutiny, esp for a recurrence of an earlier shortcoming
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verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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parolesimple
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parolessimple
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have paroledperfect
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has paroledperfect
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am parolingprogressive
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are parolingprogressive
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is parolingprogressive
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have been parolingperfect progressive
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has been parolingperfect progressive
Past
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paroledsimple
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had paroledperfect
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was parolingprogressive
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were parolingprogressive
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had been parolingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of parole
First recorded in 1610–20; from Middle French, short for parole d'honneur “word of honor”. See parol
Explanation
If you're in prison, after serving a few years you might be let out on parole, a promise to be good and check in regularly. Parole comes from the French for "word," and means "word of honor." You'll most frequently hear it in relation to prisoners, who promise to fulfill certain conditions in return for an early release from jail. When the officials are trying to decide whether a prisoner is ready for parole, they have a parole hearing. Parole can also mean "password." If you're part of an underground revolutionary group, you'll need a parole to help keep your meetings secret. Just say the word at the door, and they'll let you in.
Vocabulary lists containing parole
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
In the past few months, it has given the green light to commutations of sentences of life without parole so that they “can be eligible for a parole suitability hearing.”
From Slate ● Nov. 5, 2026
"I will therefore issue the same commutation to every condemned person -- life without the possibility of parole," he added.
From Barron's ● Nov. 5, 2026
California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Thursday that he plans to commute death sentences for 548 people facing execution by the state, allowing them to serve life in prison without the possibility of parole.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026
The decision was subsequently reversed by a majority of parole board commissioners.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 19, 2026
Defendants are typically denied meaningful legal representation, pressured by the threat of lengthy sentences into a plea bargain, and then placed under formal control—in prison or jail, on probation or parole.
From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander
Initially, both sides assumed that the familiar practice of cartels and paroles would be maintained.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 20, 2026
“These paroles have since been terminated with immediate effect,” the agency announced on X. Again, it was unclear specifically who this applied to and if these individuals were notified.
From Slate ● Apr. 16, 2025
The revocation, she ruled, would have to be on a case-by-case basis, just as their paroles had been granted.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 16, 2025
Former Republican Gov. Scott Walker granted more than 650 discretionary paroles over eight years, according to the parole commission.
From Washington Times ● Sep. 19, 2022
It was Billy Speaker himself who had suggested the idea of the paroles, and as Jimmie Welsh knew the 219 word of a Westerner was as good as his bond, the pact was soon consummated.
From The Free Range by Douglas Duer
One of them was sentenced to life with the possibility of parole, and the other was paroled after cooperating with investigators.
From Slate ● Aug. 25, 2026
Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said the U.S. government was bound by a Biden-era court settlement to expedite asylum claims of Afghans paroled into the U.S. under Operation Allies Welcome.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 28, 2025
"This is an ongoing sentence from which I can never be paroled."
From Barron's ● Nov. 25, 2025
It is unclear what Ocalan and his supporters will get in return for disbanding but there is speculation that he may be paroled.
From BBC ● May 12, 2025
In the Milan, Michigan, federal prison, Mr. Muhammad served three and a half years, then he was paroled.
From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey
Before I got to fire camp, my earliest possible release date was November 2013, yet I ended up paroling in February 2012.
From Washington Post ● Oct. 15, 2021
South Koreans have been divided over whether Mr. Lee was worth paroling.
From New York Times ● Aug. 9, 2021
The Baltimore Sun on the involvement of the governor of Maryland in paroling three juveniles who were given life sentences:
From Washington Times ● Nov. 27, 2019
Human-rights advocates say that paroling the perpetrators threatens the entire logic of international criminal law.
From The New Yorker ● Jul. 9, 2018
It took all day to finish the capitulation, paroling prisoners, and dividing out the supplies; but we had but little time to rest, for Lee's Army was now in a critical condition.
From History of Kershaw's Brigade by D. Augustus Dickert
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