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

Tyreek pleaded guilty to domestic assault and battery by strangulation in 2014 and received three years on probation as result of a plea agreement, reported The Oklahoman. —Skyler Caruso, People.com, 22 Jan. 2025

In a voicemail left with investigators, the caller said Miranda was on probation and had recently been arrested by East Hartford police. —Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 22 Jan. 2025

Deputy Prosecutor Mary Ryan also requested a five-year sentence, with two years in state prison, two years on home detention and one year on probation. —Amy Lavalley, Chicago Tribune, 17 Jan. 2025

Villegas, who was 21 years old at the time of the shooting, was on probation. —City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Jan. 2025