Parol vs. Parole

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Grammarist

Parol and parole are two words that are pronounced in the same manner but have different spellings and different meanings. They are homophones. We will examine the difference between the definitions of parol and parole, where these words came from and some examples of their use in sentences.

Parol means communicated orally, a statement uttered, or evidence given with an oral statement. Parol is also a traditional Filipino Christmas lantern. The word parol is derived from the Old French word parole which means word or argument. Parol is an adjective.

Parole means the release of a prisoner before his entire sentence is served because of good behavior in prison and the belief that the prisoner will not re-offend. The word parole may be used as a noun or a transitive verb, which is a verb that takes an object. Related words are paroles, paroled, paroling, parolee. The word parole is also derived from the Old French word parole, which also means a formal promise.

Examples

So what the courts offer instead is a dark theory of purportedly rabid anti-Muslim bias, cobbled together by parol evidence of campaign-trail rhetoric. (The National Review)

In celebration of the holiday season, Lito Asuncion returns to the Lyman Museum to present a workshop on the parol, a Filipino star-shaped Christmas lantern. (The Hawaii Tribune-Herald)

An 86-year-old Modesto woman has been found suitable for parole after more than 30 years in prison after being convicting in the 1985 murder of her husband, according to a news release issued Friday by the Stanislaus County district attorney’s office. (The Modesto Bee)

At her first-ever parole hearing, Carolyn Warmus blamed the media for her “fatal attraction” conviction for shooting her lover’s wife to death in Westchester in 1989, a transcript of the proceeding reveals. (The Journal News)

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