probation

American  

[proh-bey-shuhn] / proʊˈbeɪ ʃən /

noun

• probations
  plural

1. the act of testing.

2. the testing or trial of a person's conduct, character, qualifications, or the like.

3. the state or period of such testing or trial.

4. Law.

   1. a method of dealing with offenders, especially young persons guilty of minor crimes or first offenses, by allowing them to go at large under supervision of a probation officer.

   2. the state of having been conditionally released.

5. Education. a trial period or condition of students in certain educational institutions who are being permitted to redeem failures, misconduct, etc.

6. the testing or trial of a candidate for membership in a religious body or order, for holy orders, etc.

7. Archaic. proof.

---

probation British  

/ prəˈbeɪʃən /

noun

1. a system of dealing with offenders by placing them under the supervision of a probation officer

2. 1. under the supervision of a probation officer

   2. undergoing a test period

3. a trial period, as for a teacher, religious novitiate, etc

4. the act of proving or testing

5. a period during which a new employee may have his employment terminated on the grounds of unsuitability

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonprobation
  noun
• probationship
  noun
• probational
  adjective
• probationary
  adjective
• probationally
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• probations
  plural

Etymology

Origin of probation

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English probacion, from Latin probātiōn- (stem of probātiō ); see probate, -ion

Explanation

A probation is a period of time when a criminal needs to be on their best behavior: they're not in jail (yet or anymore) but they have to do certain things demanded by the court. Being put on criminal probation is like getting a second chance before more serious penalties apply: you might have to pay a fine, do community service, or be monitored to make sure you don’t get into any more trouble. Some criminals are released from jail early and put on probation. People also talk about probation for non-criminal issues: there could be a probation period for joining a club, when they check you out before deciding to let you in.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

probation probations

Calese Crowder, 39, was taken into custody for violating terms of his probation from a previous arrest, authorities said, and awaits an undisclosed court date at Los Angeles Superior Court.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2026

District Attorney Nathan Hochman launched an investigation using law-enforcement databases with records of virtually everyone the county had prosecuted since the 1960s, including juveniles whose files had been scrubbed from the probation department.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026

Stephen was ordered to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work and given 18 months probation.

From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026

He himself is out on probation for a harassment charge he garnered last year in a Steak ’n Shake, a business he is now permanently banned from entering.

From Slate ● Aug. 20, 2026

Before he left, he promised his probation officer he would stay out of trouble.

From "The Freedom Writers Diary" by The Freedom Writers

Documents may include formal accusations, which detail allegations of gross negligence and other violations; letters of reprimand; and disciplinary orders spelling out stipulated agreements, suspensions, revocations and probations.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2021

Their protests earned them 12-month probations from the U.S.

From Washington Post ● Jun. 5, 2020

Penalties listed in the guide include team probations and suspension from post-season play.

From Washington Times ● Jan. 13, 2016

By mid-July, having violated their probations, both of Hannah’s parents were in jail.

From New York Times ● Jul. 25, 2013

She had never thought of probations, and examinations, and catechisms.

From A Daughter of the Land by Gene Stratton-Porter

Related Words

• trial