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Added 9 October 2026

parole

/pəˈɹəʊl/ noun

Latin root: parabola Wiktionary

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about parole at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

A promise.
he gave his word
A secret word or phrase known only to a restricted group.
he forgot the password
(law) a conditional release from imprisonment that entitles the person to serve the remainder of the sentence outside the prison as long as the terms of release are complied with.

verb

Release a criminal from detention and place him on parole.
The prisoner was paroled after serving 10 years in prison

Origin

Borrowed from Middle French parole (“word, formal promise”), from Old French parole, from Late Latin parabola (“speech”), from Ancient Greek παραβολή (parabolḗ). Doublet of parabola, parable, and palaver.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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