probation -
(law) a way of dealing with offenders without imprisoning them; a defendant found guilty of a crime is released by the court without imprisonment subject to conditions imposed by the court; "probation is part of the sentencing process"
probation -
A period of time when a person occupies a position only conditionally and may easily be removed for poor performance.
probation -
A type of sentence where convicted criminals are allowed to continue living in the community but will automatically be sent to jail if they violate certain conditions.
Probation is a sentence which may be imposed by a criminal court, in lieu of incarceration. A criminal who is "on probation" could be considered as convicted of a crime, but has served only part of the sentence in prison, or has not served time at all. In cases of deferred adjudication, after completing probation, the offender might be cleared of the conviction.