license plate

American  

noun

• license plates
  plural

1. a plate or tag, usually of metal, bearing evidence of official registration and permission, as for the use of a motor vehicle.

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license plate British  

noun

1. Also called (in Britain and certain other countries): numberplate. a plate mounted on the front and back of a motor vehicle bearing the registration number

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• license plates
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of license plate

First recorded in 1900–05

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

license plate

At Chicago, the university said a person of interest has been identified through eye witnesses, video cameras and license plate readers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026

Under the proposed contract, investigators would no longer be given “unfettered access” to license plate data and the retention period would be significantly cut down, he said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026

The officers shared the shocking recording this week in hopes of identifying the driver, whose license plate cannot be discerned in the clip.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026

The El Paso City Council responded with an ordinance requiring future contracts for license plate readers to be approved by the council.

From Salon ● Sep. 28, 2026

OK, so she was furious and even threatened to call the Las Vegas police and report my friend’s license plate number.

From "The Freedom Writers Diary" by The Freedom Writers

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