parole

¹

[ puh-rohl ]

noun

1. Penology.
   1. the conditional release of a person from prison prior to the end of the maximum sentence imposed.
   2. such release or its duration.
   3. an official document authorizing such a release.
2. Military.
   1. 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.
   2. (formerly) any password given by authorized personnel in passing by a guard.
3. word of honor given or pledged.
4. (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)

, pa·roled, pa·rol·ing.

1. to place or release on parole.
2. 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

1. of or relating to parole or parolees:

   a parole record.

parole

²

[ pa-rawl ]

noun

, French.

1. language as manifested in the actual utterances produced by speakers of a language ( langue ).

parole

/ pəˈrəʊl; pəˌrəʊˈliː /

noun

1. 1. the freeing of a prisoner before his sentence has expired, on the condition that he is of good behaviour
   2. the duration of such conditional release
2. a promise given by a prisoner, as to be of good behaviour if granted liberty or partial liberty
3. a variant spelling of parol
4. military a password
5. linguistics language as manifested in the individual speech acts of particular speakers Compare langue performance competence
6. on parole
   1. conditionally released from detention
   2. (of a person) under scrutiny, esp for a recurrence of an earlier shortcoming

verb

1. to place (a person) on parole

Derived Forms

• parolee, noun
• paˈrolable, adjective

Other Words From

• pa·rola·ble adjective
• unpa·rola·ble adjective
• unpa·roled adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of parole¹

First recorded in 1610–20; from Middle French, short for parole d'honneur “word of honor”. See parol

Word History and Origins

Origin of parole¹

C17: from Old French, from the phrase parole d'honneur word of honour; parole from Late Latin parabola speech

Example Sentences

They were sentenced to life imprisonment without parole and, for years, their story largely faded from the spotlight.

From BBC

He’s being held without bail and if convicted as charged could face a life sentence without the possibility of parole.

From Los Angeles Times

A look at the lives the Menendez brothers built inside prison as they served life sentences without parole for the murders of their parents.

From Los Angeles Times

J. Donovan, who was also sentenced to life without the possibility of parole.

From Los Angeles Times

The two brothers were convicted of murder with special circumstances, a charge that is punishable in California only by life without parole or the death penalty.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• let out
• liberate
• pardon