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parol

parol

9.9
Said out loud rather than written, often in court
  • adjective
  • /ˈpɛrəl/
  • Formal
translation icon : oral
  • In a court case, the judge allowed the use of parol evidence to clarify the intentions of the parties involved.

Examples

  • The contract was mostly written, but we agreed on some parol terms during our discussion.

  • So in space, whereas parol speech unfolds in time.

  • During negotiations, they settled several issues based on parol agreements that were made verbally.

Synonyms

verbal
vsparol
37 3.2

Said in speech rather than written down

is used mainly in legal contexts rather than general speech
viva-voce
vsparol
  • Formal
8.9

Spoken rather than written

is used mainly in legal contexts rather than exam or formal oral settings

Antonyms

1.0

Made as words on paper or a screen rather than spoken

Proved by written or official papers

Compounds

9.9

A rule that stops people using spoken words to change a written contract in court

Surface Forms

parol positive

Etymology

Parol comes from the old French word parole, which means 'word' or 'speech'. So in law a parol agreement is one that is spoken out loud, not written down.