on probation

idiom

1

: being tested and watched at a new job to see if one is able to do the job properly

As a new employee, I will be on probation for three months.

2

: being allowed to stay out of prison after committing a crime if one behaves well, does not commit another crime, etc.

She was arrested while on probation.

3

: being watched for a period of time during which one must behave well in order not to be seriously punished after having made a serious mistake or done something bad

He was on probation for cheating.

The student was put/placed on probation for copying test answers.

Examples of on probation in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Code Switch Almost 4 million people are on probation or parole. —Rachel Treisman, NPR, 14 May 2025

Darius Williams is no longer the Arlington Sam Houston boys’ basketball coach after being ejected while on probation. —Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Apr. 2025

Both his stints at Oklahoma (1994-2006) and Indiana (2006-08) ended with his teams on probation for NCAA violations. —Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 6 Apr. 2025

District Attorney Ursula Jones Dickson on Tuesday announced the charges against Lawrence Holley, 48, who was on probation at the time of the Friday afternoon attack near International Boulevard and 104th Avenue. —Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 2 Apr. 2025

Rhymes for on probation

• abdication
• aberration
• abjuration
• abnegation
• abrogation
• acceptation
• acclamation
• acclimation
• accusation
• activation
• actuation
• acylation