ticket
Americannoun
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a slip, usually of paper or cardboard, serving as evidence that the holder has paid a fare or admission or is entitled to some service, right, or the like.
a railroad ticket; a theater ticket.
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a summons issued for a traffic or parking violation.
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a written or printed slip of paper, cardboard, etc., affixed to something to indicate its nature, price, or the like; label or tag.
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a slate of candidates nominated by a particular party or faction and running together in an election.
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the license of a ship's officer or of an aviation pilot.
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Banking. a preliminary recording of transactions prior to their entry in more permanent books of account.
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Informal. the proper or advisable thing.
That's the ticket! Warm milk and toast is just the ticket for you.
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Archaic. a placard.
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Obsolete. a short note, notice, or memorandum.
verb (used with object)
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to attach a ticket to; distinguish by means of a ticket; label.
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to furnish with a ticket, as on the railroad.
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to serve with a summons for a traffic or parking violation.
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to attach such a summons to.
to ticket illegally parked cars.
idioms
noun
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a piece of paper, cardboard, etc, showing that the holder is entitled to certain rights, such as travel on a train or bus, entry to a place of public entertainment, etc
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(modifier) concerned with or relating to the issue, sale, or checking of tickets
a ticket office
ticket collector
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a piece of card, cloth, etc, attached to an article showing information such as its price, size, or washing instructions
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a summons served for a parking offence or violation of traffic regulations
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informal the certificate of competence issued to a ship's captain or an aircraft pilot
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the group of candidates nominated by one party in an election; slate
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the declared policy of a political party at an election
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informal a certificate of discharge from the armed forces
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informal the right or appropriate thing
that's the ticket
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informal to be conceited
verb
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to issue or attach a ticket or tickets to
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informal to earmark for a particular purpose
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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ticketsimple
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ticketssimple
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have ticketedperfect
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has ticketedperfect
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am ticketingprogressive
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are ticketingprogressive
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is ticketingprogressive
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have been ticketingperfect progressive
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has been ticketingperfect progressive
Past
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ticketedsimple
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had ticketedperfect
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was ticketingprogressive
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were ticketingprogressive
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had been ticketingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of ticket
1520–30; 1925–30 ticket for def. 4; earlier tiket < Middle French etiquet memorandum. See etiquette
Explanation
A ticket is the slip of paper or card you need to be admitted to a movie theater, a museum, or an airplane. Your ticket proves that you've paid or been invited. Other types of tickets include the ones you get as a receipt or bill, and the kind a traffic officer hands you when you're caught driving 40 miles per hour in a 30 MPH zone. In the U.S., ticket is also used to mean "ballot," as in "I'm not excited either of the candidates on that party's ticket." If someone tells you "That's the ticket!", they mean you've made exactly the right choice.
Vocabulary lists containing ticket
U.S. Government - Introductory
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U.S. Government - Middle School and High School
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Ticket reseller StubHub UK has been ordered to refund more than 50,000 customers and pay a £900,000 fine for not showing people the total price upfront when buying tickets.
From BBC • Jun. 23, 2026
Ticket prices for Monday's game are out of the reach of most New Yorkers, but the self-proclaimed "World's Most Famous Arena" will still be packed to the rafters, with celebrity fans courtside.
From Barron's • Jun. 8, 2026
Ticket prices for Game 3 of the NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs at Madison Square Garden were once the most expensive in NBA history.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 8, 2026
Ticket sales for the No. 3 movie, “Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu,” dropped 69% to $25 million.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 31, 2026
“Show your father the fifth and last Golden Ticket in the world!”
From "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" by Roald Dahl
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
