Ticket-of-leave (Noun)
Meaning
A permit formerly given to convicts allowing them to leave prison under specific restrictions.
Classification
Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents.
Examples
- When the convict was granted his ticket-of-leave he was overjoyed and couldn't wait to begin his new life outside the walls of the prison.
- During the 18th century in the British colonies of Australia a ticket-of-leave man was required to report regularly to a local police officer.
- A ticket-of-leave allowed a convict to earn a living but still under the supervision of the authorities with many freedoms restricted.
- Convicts given their ticket-of-leave were often forced to live on the outskirts of society and were shunned by the general population.
- The prisoner's good behavior in the early years was rewarded with a ticket-of-leave, easing the end of his long sentence.