pa·role /pə-'rōl/ n [Old French, speech, word, prisoner's word of honor to fulfill stated conditions, from Late Latin parabola speech, parable, from Greek parabolē comparison]: a conditional release of a prisoner who has served part of a sentence and who remains under the control of and in the legal custody of a parole authority compare probation
Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary of Law. Merriam-Webster. 1996.