Meaning

noun a promise

noun a secret word or phrase known only to a restricted group

noun (law) a conditional release from imprisonment that entitles the person to serve the remainder of the sentence outside the prison as long as the terms of release are complied with

originBorrowed from Middle French parole (“word, formal promise”), from Old French parole, from Late Latin parabola (“speech”), from Ancient Greek παραβολή (parabolḗ). Doublet of parabola, parable, and palaver.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0