parole

/pəˈrəʊl/ (bre, ipa) · /pəˈrəʊl/ (ame, ipa) · /pə-ˈrōl/ (ame, mw) · /pəˈroʊl/ (ame, ipa)

parole — noun

1. legal approval allowing someone in prison to spend the rest of their sentence ou

1.名詞B2
釋義

legal approval allowing someone in prison to spend the rest of their sentence outside jail under supervision, provided they obey strict rules

例句

After six years in prison, Tariro was released on parole last autumn.

collocation: released on parole

A parole officer visited Christopher's apartment to confirm he was living there.

collocation: parole officer

同義詞
  • probation

    a different legal status that usually keeps someone out of prison from the start

  • conditional release

    a formal legal label that describes the same supervised early-release idea more generally

  • supervised release

    a modern legal term that often refers to supervision after prison under a specific court system

反義詞

文法句型

on parole

release on parole

grant parole

deny parole

用法筆記

Most often used after the preposition 'on'. It refers to release after part of a prison sentence has already been served, unlike probation, which usually replaces prison.

常見錯誤

❌The judge gave him parole instead of a prison sentence.
✅The judge gave him probation instead of a prison sentence.
💡parole happens after someone has spent time in prison, while probation is usually ordered instead of prison.

2. in linguistics, a person's actual use of words and sentences in real situations,

2.名詞C2
釋義

in linguistics, a person's actual use of words and sentences in real situations, rather than the shared language system of a group

例句

Saussure used parole for actual speech, not the language system itself.

contrast: parole versus language system

The lecture compared children's parole with the grammar rules they learn.

同義詞
  • speech

    a broader everyday word that is less technical than this linguistic sense

  • utterance

    focuses on a particular spoken unit rather than a whole person's language use

  • performance

    a technical term in linguistics for language as actual behaviour

反義詞
  • langue

    the shared abstract language system that this sense is contrasted with

文法句型

langue and parole

study parole

actual parole

用法筆記

Usually appears in academic discussion, especially when contrasted with 'langue'. It points to real acts of speaking or expression, not the abstract language system itself.

常見錯誤

❌English is a parole.
✅English is a language, or a langue in Saussure's terms.
💡this sense refers to an individual's actual use of language, not the whole language shared by a community.

3. a promise backed by someone's personal honour, showing that their word can be tr

3.名詞C2
釋義

a promise backed by someone's personal honour, showing that their word can be trusted

例句

The captain gave his parole that no one would leave camp overnight.

fixed pattern: give one's parole that...

On her parole, Élise returned the borrowed papers the next morning.

同義詞
  • promise

    the broad everyday word, without the strong honour-based tone

  • pledge

    more formal and often public, but not always tied to personal honour

  • word

    in phrases like 'give your word', a close idiomatic equivalent

文法句型

give one's parole

on one's parole

break one's parole

用法筆記

This meaning is literary or historical. It often appears in older writing about soldiers, prisoners, or diplomats who are expected to keep their word on honour alone.

常見錯誤

❌I gave my parole to meet you at six.
✅I gave you my parole that I would meet you at six.
💡this sense usually expresses an honour-based promise with a following clause.

4. a private word or short phrase shared within a limited group and spoken to prove

4.名詞C2
釋義

a private word or short phrase shared within a limited group and spoken to prove that you belong or should be let in

例句

The night guard whispered the parole before opening the city gate.

historical use: spoken watchword at a gate

Only officers on duty knew the parole for that evening's watch.

同義詞
  • watchword

    a close historical equivalent often used for guards and military duty

  • password

    the broader modern word, especially for devices and online accounts

  • codeword

    often used for secret operations or organised plans rather than admission to a guarded place

文法句型

know the parole

give the parole

change the parole

用法筆記

This sense is mostly historical or literary, often in military or guard settings. For modern computer access, English normally uses 'password' instead.

常見錯誤

❌He typed the parole into his phone.
✅He typed the password into his phone.
💡this sense refers to a spoken or shared watchword, not an ordinary digital password.

parole — verb