license plate

American  

noun

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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Etymology

Origin of license plate

First recorded in 1900–05

Example Sentences

I acquired the license plate via a 4K traffic camera at the intersection, a camera you could not see.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 12, 2026

The viewing sessions got more serious after Cicero told his friends he went to a trivia night and was stumped by a question on the license plate on Jerry’s Saab convertible.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

Officers later broadcast the vehicle’s description and a license plate reader captured the vehicle passing through Benedict Canyon, he said.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 10, 2026

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to increase oversight of data gathered by law enforcement devices known as automated license plate readers.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 1, 2026

But his license plate said BO HOP, which we did get a pretty good look at, and it had remained at the top of our coolness index right up until today.

From "The Season of Styx Malone" by Kekla Magoon