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 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 Police Commission on Tuesday said it wants to know more about how data captured by the controversial license plate reader company Flock Safety is stored and shared.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 3, 2026

A project to document automated license plate readers arrives as more police agencies are using the surveillance technology.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 1, 2026

It looked like a small, square book, except the cover was an old Massachusetts license plate.

From "The Line Tender" by Kate Allen