parole
B2formal, legal, academic
Definition
Meaning
The temporary or permanent release of a prisoner before the end of a sentence, on the promise of good behaviour.
The formal promise made by such a prisoner; by extension, a person's word of honour or pledge; also refers to a linguistic concept (e.g., parole vs. langue) relating to individual speech acts.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily a legal/judicial term. In linguistics, it's a technical term from Saussurean theory, contrasting with 'langue'. The core meaning is dominant in general usage.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The legal meaning is identical in both varieties. The linguistic meaning is primarily academic and equally known. The term is used in both systems but parole boards and processes differ in detail.
Connotations
Often carries a negative or cautious public connotation ('released on parole'). In linguistics, purely technical.
Frequency
More frequent in US media due to higher profile of parole systems. The linguistic term has equal, low frequency in both.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
to be released on paroleto grant/deny sb paroleto be up for paroleto break/violate one's paroleVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “out on parole”
- “a parole hearing”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Virtually unused.
Academic
Used in law, criminology, and linguistics departments with precise technical meanings.
Everyday
Understood primarily in the context of news about criminals being released.
Technical
Precise legal term for post-sentence supervision; linguistic term for individual language use.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The board decided to parole the inmate after twenty years.
- He was paroled last Thursday.
American English
- The prisoner will be paroled next month.
- She was paroled on good behaviour.
adjective
British English
- He had a parole hearing scheduled.
- The parole conditions were strict.
American English
- The parole officer called for a check-in.
- Parole eligibility is reviewed annually.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The man is out of prison on parole.
- He must see his parole officer every week.
- The judge granted him parole after ten years.
- If he breaks his parole, he will go back to jail.
- The parole board considered his rehabilitation before making a decision.
- Saussure distinguished between 'langue', the language system, and 'parole', its individual use.
- His parole was controversially revoked following a minor technical violation.
- The study analysed instances of parole in conversational data to challenge the theoretical model.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a prisoner giving their WORD (parole) to behave, so they can walk through the prison's back DOOR (sounds like 'parole') to freedom.
Conceptual Metaphor
FREEDOM IS A CONDITIONAL CONTRACT (you must follow rules to keep it).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Не переводить как 'пароль' (password).
- В юридическом смысле соответствует 'условно-досрочное освобождение' (УДО), но системы не идентичны.
- В лингвистике переводится как 'речь' (индивидуальный акт речи).
Common Mistakes
- Confusing 'parole' with 'probation' (often pre-trial or post-conviction supervision without prison time).
- Using 'parole' as a verb for the prisoner ('He was paroled' is correct; 'He paroled' is not).
- Misspelling as 'parol' (which is a different legal term for a written contract).
Practice
Quiz
In linguistics, 'parole' refers to:
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Probation is often an alternative to imprisonment or post-conviction supervision without prison time. Parole is the release of a prisoner before the full sentence is served, under supervision.
Yes, but only transitively and usually in the passive voice (e.g., 'He was paroled'). It is not common to say 'The board paroled him', though it is grammatically correct.
Parole is an individual, conditional early release from prison. Amnesty is a group pardon, usually for political offences, often wiping out the legal consequences of the crime.
In Saussurean linguistics, 'parole' is the concrete, individual use of language in actual speech acts, contrasted with 'langue', the abstract, shared system of language.
Collections
Part of a collection
Crime and Justice
B1 · 46 words · Vocabulary for law, crime and the justice system.
Law and Regulation
C1 · 46 words · Legal language and regulatory frameworks.