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

The investigators notified the Mexican army, providing the license plate number.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 11, 2026

Councilmember Monica Rodriguez said that as the license plate reader technology is adopted by other, non-police agencies such as sanitation and street services, the city needs a universal policy governing its use.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026

The cameras will take a photo of the speeding vehicle’s license plate, with the license plate data used to identify the registered vehicle’s owner on file with the Department of Motor Vehicles.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026

“I knew it. If those cameras were on, they probably got the license plate number and everything.”

From "The Darkest Minds" by Alexandra Bracken

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