parole
puh-ROHL
/pəˈroʊl/
The conditional release of a prisoner before the completion of a sentence, based on good behavior.
Parole happens AFTER someone has already served part of their sentence inside a prison.
The story behind the word. Originating from the French phrase 'parole d'honneur' ('word of honor'), this term originally referred to a prisoner of war giving his word not to bear arms again if released. Over time, it was adopted into civil criminal law as a promise of good conduct upon early release.
Word relationships
- conditional release: Descriptive legal term, whereas 'parole' is the specific standard program name.
- full-term incarceration: Serving the entire length of a sentence behind bars.
Commonly confused with
- probation: Parole occurs AFTER prison; probation occurs INSTEAD OF prison.
Word family
- parolee (noun): A person who has been released on parole.
Collocations
- grant parole
- parole hearing
- parole officer
- eligible for parole
Example sentences
- "After serving twelve years of his twenty-year sentence, he was granted parole." Court Reporting
- "Violating the terms of parole will immediately return the offender to prison." Legal Statute
Memory hook
Parole comes from giving your 'word' (parole in French) to be good. Give your word (parole) to walk free.
When not to use
Do not confuse with 'probation', which is served INSTEAD of jail time.
Fun facts
- In military history, captured officers were often released 'on parole' simply because gentlemanly conduct dictated they would not run away.
Related words
Take your vocabulary further with LangBlitz
Our English vocabulary app: FSRS spaced repetition, 5,000+ curated words across 119 topic groups, CEFR A1 to C2. Explore your mastery with the beautiful Vocabulary World feature.