English Reference

Word

probation

Phoneticspro·ba·tion

US/pɹoʊˈbeɪʃən/

UK/pɹəʊbˈeɪʃən/

Definitions

01employment trial

B2

n. a trial period at a new job to see if you are a good fit for the company.

n. a fixed period of time during which a new employee's performance and suitability are monitored before their contract becomes permanent.

“The new manager is on probation for three months before her permanent contract starts.”

“During his initial six-month probation, the junior developer received regular feedback sessions to ensure his technical skills aligned with the team's standards.”

Usage

Often used with the preposition 'on'.

Synonyms

trial periodtest period

02legal supervision

B2 · Law

n. a system where a person who committed a crime stays out of prison but must follow certain rules and meet a supervisor.

n. a legal arrangement allowing an offender to remain in the community under the supervision of a dedicated officer rather than serving a custodial sentence.

“He was sentenced to two years of probation and had to perform community service.”

“The judge granted probation on the condition that the defendant attend mandatory counselling and maintain steady employment throughout the term.”

Usage

Commonly used with the verbs 'grant', 'serve', or 'violate'.

Synonyms

supervised release

03academic trial

C1

n. a period when a student must improve their grades or they will be asked to leave the school.

n. a status assigned to a student whose academic performance has fallen below a required standard, requiring improvement within a specified timeframe.

“After failing two classes, the student was put on academic probation for the next semester.”

“The university policy dictates that any student on academic probation must meet with a counsellor weekly to discuss their progress and study habits.”

Academic

Synonyms

academic warning

04the act of testing

C2

n. the act of testing something or providing proof.

n. the process of testing or the state of being tested; the act of providing evidence or proof.

“The ancient text was submitted for probation to ensure it was real.”

“In the older sense of the word, the probation of the witness's character was essential to the validity of the entire legal proceeding.”

Archaic

Real-World Examples

“Winder said officials could be ready to launch the drugs in prisons and probation services across England and Wales within 28 months if the pilot continued to progress.”
The Guardian · 22 Aug 2026
“Probation staff make decisions every day with life-changing consequences for the people we work with, victims and the public.”
The Guardian · 11 Aug 2026

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English probacioun, from Middle French probation, from Old French probacion, from Latin probatio (“a trying, inspection, examination”), from probare, past participle probatus (“to test, examine”); see probate, probe, prove.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Collocations

probation staff

Word family

Domain

Law

This entry

Level
B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency
Frequent
Updated

Scan code

englishreference.com/q/probation

English Reference