Other forms: paroles
Parole is early release from prison on the condition of good behaviour. Out on parole, a parole hearing, denied parole.
The sentence continues while the person is outside, which is why breaking the conditions can send them back without a new trial. A parole board decides, and a parole officer supervises. Life without parole is the strictest sentence in many American states. Note that parole differs from probation, which is served instead of prison rather than after part of it, and that the two are constantly confused.
1nounparoleEarly release from prison on a promise of good behaviour.
“He was refused parole twice before it was granted.”
parole is a conditional release.
French parole means a word — the phrase was parole d'honneur, word of honour. A prisoner of war released on parole had given his word not to fight, so the whole system is named after a promise.
Middle French
parole
English, today
parole
Borrowed from Middle French parole. Borrowed from Middle French parole (“word, formal promise”), from Old French parole, from Latin parabola (“speech”), from Ancient Greek παραβολή. a doublet of parabola and parable and palaver.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA