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

The officers then stopped the BMW, which lacked a front license plate, according to the affidavit.

From Los Angeles Times • May 21, 2026

She also called for the city to scale back its use of “private surveillance” technology, such as Flock license plate readers.

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026

The app, known as Enhanced Leads Identification and Targeting for Enforcement, or ELITE, lets officers research and track individuals based on criminal history, license plate searches, name, date of birth or locations.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 1, 2026

Neighborhood doorbell cameras, Flock license plate readers and hyperlocal social media sites like Nextdoor create a crowdsourced record of all people’s movements in public spaces.

From Salon • Apr. 23, 2026

When there were no fish in ’28, they blamed it on the new design of the license plate.

From "Shouting at the Rain" by Lynda Mullaly Hunt