parole
UK: pəˈrəʊl | US: pəˈroʊl
n. 1. The temporary or permanent release of a prisoner before the end of a sentence, on the promise of good behavior.
n. 2. (Historical) A word of honor given by a prisoner of war, promising not to escape or engage in hostilities if released.
vt. To release (a prisoner) on parole.
parole = par<equal> + ole<speech>
- par<equal>: From Old French par (by, through), derived from Latin par (equal). Reflects the idea of mutual agreement or condition.
- ole<speech>: From Old French ole (a variant of parole, meaning "word" or "speech"), from Latin parabola (comparison, speech), via Greek parabolē (comparison).
Etymology Origin:
The word parole originated in 17th-century French as parole d’honneur ("word of honor"), referring to a prisoner’s promise to abide by terms of release. It traces back to Latin parabola (speech, comparison), which also gave rise to parable and parley. The core idea is a conditional agreement bound by spoken words. Over time, it narrowed to legal contexts, emphasizing the prisoner’s pledge as equal to their freedom (par = equal + ole = speech).
The inmate was granted parole after serving 10 years of his sentence.
During wartime, officers sometimes gave their parole to avoid confinement.
The judge decided to parole the offender due to good behavior in prison.
Breaking parole terms can result in immediate re-arrest.
Historically, knights exchanged parole as a binding oath of truce.