probation

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. A process or period in which a person's fitness, as for work or membership in a social group, is tested.
2. n. Law The act of suspending the sentence of a person convicted of a criminal offense and granting that person provisional freedom on the promise of good behavior.
3. n. A discharge for a person from commitment as an insane person on condition of continued sanity and of being recommitted upon the reappearance of insanity.
4. n. A trial period in which a student is given time to try to redeem failing grades or bad conduct.
5. n. The status of a person on probation.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. The act of proving; proof.
2. n. Any proceeding designed to ascertain truth, character, qualifications, or the like; trial; examination.
3. n. Specifically — Eccles., the trial of a candidate for church membership, holy orders, or other ecclesiastical position and functions, preparatory to his final admission thereto.
4. n. In theology, moral trial; a state of life affording an opportunity to test moral character.
5. n. Any period of trial. Specifically — In religious houses, the period for the trial of a novice before he or she takes the vows of the monastic order.
6. n. In the Meth. Epis. Ch., a period, usually six months, at the end of which a candidate for admission to the church determines whether he will unite with the church, and the church decides whether he should be admitted to membership.

Wiktionary

1. n. A period of time when a person occupies a position only conditionally and may easily be removed for poor performance
2. n. 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
3. n. archaic The act of testing; proof

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. obsolete The act of proving; also, that which proves anything; proof.
2. n. Any proceeding designed to ascertain truth, to determine character, qualification, etc.; examination; trial.
3. n. The novitiate which a person must pass in a convent, to probe his or her virtue and ability to bear the severities of the rule.
4. n. The trial of a ministerial candidate's qualifications prior to his ordination, or to his settlement as a pastor.
5. n. Moral trial; the state of man in the present life, in which he has the opportunity of proving his character, and becoming qualified for a happier state.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. a trial period during which your character and abilities are tested to see whether you are suitable for work or for membership
2. n. (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
3. n. a trial period during which an offender has time to redeem himself or herself