on probation

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

pro•ba•tion /proʊˈbeɪʃən/   n. 

[uncountable]
1. the status or period of trial for a student who has failing marks or bad behavior:
   He was put on probation for assaulting another student.
2. Law the status of a convicted offender who has been allowed to go free under the supervision of a probation officer:
   The courts released him on probation.

pro•ba•tion•al, adj. See -prob-.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

pro•ba•tion  (prō bā′shən), n. 

1. the act of testing.
2. the testing or trial of a person's conduct, character, qualifications, or the like.
3. the state or period of such testing or trial.
4. Law
   • a method of dealing with offenders, esp. young persons guilty of minor crimes or first offenses, by allowing them to go at large under supervision of a probation officer.
   • the state of having been conditionally released.
5. Education a trial period or condition of students in certain educational institutions who are being permitted to redeem failures, misconduct, etc.
6. the testing or trial of a candidate for membership in a religious body or order, for holy orders, etc.
7. [Archaic.] proof.

• Latin probātiōn- (stem of probātiō). See probate, -ion
• 1375–1425; late Middle English probacion

pro•ba′tion•al, pro•ba•tion•ar•y  (prō bā′shə ner′ē), adj.  pro•ba′tion•ship′, n. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

probation / prəˈbeɪʃən/ noun

1. a system of dealing with offenders by placing them under the supervision of a probation officer
2. on probation ⇒ under the supervision of a probation officer
3. undergoing a test period
4. a trial period, as for a teacher, religious novitiate, etc

proˈbational, proˈbationary adjective