Legal Definitions - parol

Parol

Parol means spoken or unwritten. It is often used in relation to the parol evidence rule, which states that oral agreements made before or at the same time as a written contract cannot be used to contradict or change the terms of the written contract.

For example, if two parties sign a written contract for the sale of a car, but one party claims that there was an additional oral agreement to include new tires, the parol evidence rule would prevent the oral agreement from being used in court to change the terms of the written contract.

Parol should not be confused with "parole," which refers to the early release of a prisoner from prison.