Probation
prəˈbeɪʃən
Definitions
A period of supervision over an offender, granted by a court, instead of imprisonment. Also, a trial period for an employee.
prəˈbeɪʃən
Supervised release from confinement.
He was released from prison on probation.
💡 Simply: Imagine you did something wrong and instead of going to jail, you get a chance to prove you can behave. That's like being on probation. Or, if you're starting a new job, you might be on a probation period to see if you're a good fit.
👶 For kids: It's like when you're in time out, but you get to still go to school, and you have to be good so you don't have to go to jail.
More Examples
The employee was on probation for six months before receiving a permanent position.
She violated the terms of her probation and was sent back to jail.
How It's Used
"The judge placed the offender on probation for two years."
"She was on a probationary period at her new job."
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms
Antonyms
Idioms & expressions
probation officer
A person who supervises the conduct of a person on probation.
"The probation officer will monitor the offender's behavior."
on probation
Being under supervision or on a trial period.
"He's currently on probation for theft."
From Latin *probatio* ('a proving, examination, trial'), from *probare* ('to prove, test'). It originally referred to a trial period or testing of character or suitability.
Originally, 'probation' was used in the legal and religious contexts and referred to an examination or test of a person's character. The modern usage, relating to supervised release from confinement, emerged in the 19th century with the development of modern justice systems.
Memory tip
Think of 'probing' someone's behavior (on trial), and then being given a 'probation' period to prove themselves.
Word Origin
"a proving, examination, trial"