ticket
Americannoun
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a slip, usually of paper or cardboard, serving as evidence that the holder has paid a fare or admission or is entitled to some service, right, or the like.
a railroad ticket; a theater ticket.
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a summons issued for a traffic or parking violation.
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a written or printed slip of paper, cardboard, etc., affixed to something to indicate its nature, price, or the like; label or tag.
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a slate of candidates nominated by a particular party or faction and running together in an election.
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the license of a ship's officer or of an aviation pilot.
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Banking. a preliminary recording of transactions prior to their entry in more permanent books of account.
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Informal. the proper or advisable thing.
That's the ticket! Warm milk and toast is just the ticket for you.
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Archaic. a placard.
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Obsolete. a short note, notice, or memorandum.
verb (used with object)
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to attach a ticket to; distinguish by means of a ticket; label.
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to furnish with a ticket, as on the railroad.
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to serve with a summons for a traffic or parking violation.
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to attach such a summons to.
to ticket illegally parked cars.
idioms
noun
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a piece of paper, cardboard, etc, showing that the holder is entitled to certain rights, such as travel on a train or bus, entry to a place of public entertainment, etc
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(modifier) concerned with or relating to the issue, sale, or checking of tickets
a ticket office
ticket collector
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a piece of card, cloth, etc, attached to an article showing information such as its price, size, or washing instructions
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a summons served for a parking offence or violation of traffic regulations
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informal the certificate of competence issued to a ship's captain or an aircraft pilot
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the group of candidates nominated by one party in an election; slate
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the declared policy of a political party at an election
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informal a certificate of discharge from the armed forces
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informal the right or appropriate thing
that's the ticket
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informal to be conceited
verb
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to issue or attach a ticket or tickets to
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informal to earmark for a particular purpose
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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ticketsimple
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ticketssimple
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have ticketedperfect
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has ticketedperfect
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am ticketingprogressive
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are ticketingprogressive
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is ticketingprogressive
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have been ticketingperfect progressive
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has been ticketingperfect progressive
Past
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ticketedsimple
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had ticketedperfect
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was ticketingprogressive
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were ticketingprogressive
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had been ticketingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of ticket
1520–30; 1925–30 ticket for def. 4; earlier tiket < Middle French etiquet memorandum. See etiquette
Explanation
A ticket is the slip of paper or card you need to be admitted to a movie theater, a museum, or an airplane. Your ticket proves that you've paid or been invited. Other types of tickets include the ones you get as a receipt or bill, and the kind a traffic officer hands you when you're caught driving 40 miles per hour in a 30 MPH zone. In the U.S., ticket is also used to mean "ballot," as in "I'm not excited either of the candidates on that party's ticket." If someone tells you "That's the ticket!", they mean you've made exactly the right choice.
Vocabulary lists containing ticket
U.S. Government - Introductory
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U.S. Government - Middle School and High School
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Three summer music festivals on historical country estates have been cancelled at the eleventh hour, with the organiser blaming high costs and low ticket sales.
From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026
It’s a civil offense, not even as bad as a speeding ticket.
From Salon ● Jul. 13, 2026
It later changed the message to read: “No ticket yet.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 12, 2026
For people visiting New Jersey, deli shops have been a hot ticket.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 11, 2026
I point to the spot on the ticket where the price is clearly displayed.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
It’s possible the World Cup could boost services costs in June given the demand for hotels, flights, meals and tickets from people going to the matches, but any influence should prove short-lived.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 13, 2026
Several shared screenshots of messages from ADI Predictstreet saying the tickets could be claimed and were set to be shipped.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 12, 2026
When they played an outdoor show at Liverpool's Pier Head last month, thousands of fans who'd been unable to get tickets turned up anyway.
From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026
People paid thousands of dollars for tickets and got their money’s worth at the world’s most-expensive stadium, a modern marvel that’s only getting better with age.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 11, 2026
The Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society would be able to point my mother in the right direction, even help her get tickets at the train station.
From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros
The ticketed locations open at 11:00 on Saturday, and allow for unlimited exit and re-entry and include toilets.
From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026
It launched a sub-brand called D&B Unlocked, a ticketed event discovery platform in which guests can sift through upcoming nightlife offerings at their local arcade.
From Slate ● Jun. 25, 2026
Admissions taxes from all ticketed events accounted for nearly 9% of the city’s general fund, according to budget documents.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 9, 2026
That got Chris Chevrier in trouble when police in his Detroit exurb recently ticketed him for riding an unregistered motorcycle.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 7, 2026
About fifteen seconds after his first left turn in this vehicle, Herbie was stopped by a cop who ticketed him for a nonfunctioning blinker signal system, an incident which took the edge off his glow.
From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols
StubHub said in various statements to the news and in legal proceedings that ticket cancellations were a result of transfer problems and issues with FIFA’s ticketing infrastructure.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 9, 2026
Montalvo's nightmare is part of what industry insiders are calling one of the largest ticketing collapses in history.
From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026
Similar scenes were played out across the country as supporters took advantage of temporary licensing changes, with many venues operating a ticketing system.
From BBC ● Jun. 28, 2026
He got stuck in virtual waiting rooms and encountered error messages on several ticketing sites.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 12, 2026
In fact, for two years hand-running, almost daily, and in spite of the three-legged shepherd’s fang-baring snarls, Bernabe had been ticketing Onofre’s perambulating junk heap.
From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
