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
Federal employees can be on probation from one to two years after being hired.
—
Ross O'Keefe, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 14 Feb. 2025
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is now suggesting that agencies do not have to fire all their federal employees who are still on probation, a senior official told Newsweek.
—Monica Sager, Newsweek, 12 Feb. 2025
Bowman, the Raleigh man arrested alongside Carnell, was also sentenced on Dec. 13 to two months in prison and a year on probation for felony obstruction of an official proceeding.
—Julia Coin, Charlotte Observer, 16 Jan. 2025
The Department of Juvenile Services (DJS) mandates that psychologists omit past legal charges from these evaluations unless the youth was placed on probation for those charges.
—Philip Caldwell, Baltimore Sun, 12 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for on probation 
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Ross O'Keefe, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 14 Feb. 2025
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is now suggesting that agencies do not have to fire all their federal employees who are still on probation, a senior official told Newsweek.
—Monica Sager, Newsweek, 12 Feb. 2025
Bowman, the Raleigh man arrested alongside Carnell, was also sentenced on Dec. 13 to two months in prison and a year on probation for felony obstruction of an official proceeding.
—Julia Coin, Charlotte Observer, 16 Jan. 2025
The Department of Juvenile Services (DJS) mandates that psychologists omit past legal charges from these evaluations unless the youth was placed on probation for those charges.
—Philip Caldwell, Baltimore Sun, 12 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for on probation
Dictionary Entries Near on probation
Cite this Entry
“On probation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/on%20probation. Accessed 20 Feb. 2025.
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