probation officer

American  

noun

1. an officer who investigates and reports on the conduct of offenders who are free on probation.

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probation officer British  

noun

1. an officer of a court who supervises offenders placed on probation and assists and befriends them

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Etymology

Origin of probation officer

An Americanism dating back to 1895–1900

Example Sentences

It takes more than a year to train a probation officer.

From BBC • Mar. 19, 2026

In May 2025, when the appeal judgement was handed down, Mr Sullivan was listening via video-link from HMP Wakefield, sitting next to his probation officer.

From BBC • Nov. 19, 2025

But one probation officer said the new zones would put more pressure on the service when it was already struggling to monitor the number of offenders in the community.

From BBC • Aug. 7, 2025

“I talked to a probation officer whose home had been in the family forever, and I’m not going to look her in the eye and say, ‘You can’t build.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 30, 2025

Up until this point, the most the quiet young man had said about the accident and his feelings was to the probation officer, Kaylene Yonk.

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel