I. pə-ˈrōl noun
Etymology: French, speech, parole, from Middle French, from Late Latin parabola speech — more at parable
Date: 1531
1. : a promise made with or confirmed by a pledge of one's honor ; especially : the promise of a prisoner of war to fulfill stated conditions in consideration of his release
2. : a watchword given only to officers of the guard and of the day
3. : a conditional release of a prisoner serving an indeterminate or unexpired sentence
4.
a. : language viewed as a specific individual usage : performance
b. : a linguistic act — compare langue
• parole adjective
II. transitive verb
( pa·roled ; pa·rol·ing )
Date: 1790
: to release (a prisoner) on parole