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

Etymology

Origin of license plate

First recorded in 1900–05

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

license plate

Republican Ron DeSantis wants new state laws to restrict the use of automated license plate readers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026

Flock Safety claims over 5,000 law enforcement agencies use its license plate readers to help locate missing persons, catch thieves and identify suspicious vehicles.

From Salon ● Aug. 17, 2026

He said it was there that deputies noticed the man’s SUV was in disarray and displayed a fake license plate, prompting deputies to investigate further.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026

Instead they take still images of vehicles, capturing the make, model, color, license plate data and other distinguishing features such as bumper stickers.

From Barron's ● Aug. 9, 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