probation

B2 Topic:Crime & Justice

US /proʊˈbeɪ.ʃən/ UK /prəʊˈbeɪ.ʃən/ See IPA manual

Freq #7014

Meanings

1

noun
a court-ordered period in which an offender remains in the community under stated conditions instead of, or after, imprisonment

The judge sentenced him to two years of probation and community service.
2

noun
a trial period during which a person's suitability for a job, role, or membership is assessed

New employees remain on probation for their first three months.
3

noun
testing or examination before admission to a right, office, or status; formal or historical

Candidates underwent a public probation before they could enter the profession.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a court-ordered period in... supervised releasecommunity supervision

2 noun · a trial period during which... trial periodprovisional period

3 noun · testing or examination... testing examination trial

Opposites

confirmation permanenceunconditional release

Word family

Derived forms probationaryprobationer

Related forms probate probe prove parole

Common collocations

on probation Preposition + noun

Etymology

From Middle English probacioun, through French from Latin probatio, 'testing, examination, or proof,' based on probare, 'to test or approve.' The legal and employment senses both preserve the idea of a conditional period of testing.

Topics

Crime & Justice

External links

# probation

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /proʊˈbeɪ.ʃən/
**IPA (UK):** /prəʊˈbeɪ.ʃən/
**Frequency rank:** 7014

## Meanings
1. a court-ordered period in which an offender remains in the community under stated conditions instead of, or after, imprisonment
2. a trial period during which a person's suitability for a job, role, or membership is assessed
3. testing or examination before admission to a right, office, or status; formal or historical

## Examples
- The judge sentenced him to two years of probation and community service.
- New employees remain on probation for their first three months.
- Candidates underwent a public probation before they could enter the profession.

## Synonyms
- supervised release
- trial period
- testing

## Antonyms
- confirmation
- permanence
- unconditional release

## Derived Forms
- probationary
- probationer

## Related Forms
- probate
- probe
- prove
- parole

## Etymology
From Middle English probacioun, through French from Latin probatio, 'testing, examination, or proof,' based on probare, 'to test or approve.' The legal and employment senses both preserve the idea of a conditional period of testing.

## Topics
- Crime & Justice

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