probation

American  

[proh-bey-shuhn] / proʊˈbeɪ ʃən /

noun

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.

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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

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Other Word Forms

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

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

The mental health of the probation officers is also highlighted in the documentary.

From BBC • May 18, 2026

Gene Levoff, a former senior lawyer at Apple, pleaded guilty in 2022 to trading on inside information about Apple’s quarterly performance and was sentenced to four years of probation.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 12, 2026

The 76-year-old telecoms billionaire had been serving a one-year prison sentence for corruption since September and will be required to wear an electronic monitor during his four-month probation period.

From Barron's • May 10, 2026

Jackson will also be placed on two years probation and must pay roughly $81,000 in restitution to the victim, according to the spokesperson.

From Los Angeles Times • May 7, 2026

Under the new policy, a school with low reading scores would be placed on probation and face the threat of being shut down, its staff to be dismissed or reassigned.

From "Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything" by Steven D. Levitt

Related Words

• trial