ticket
Americannoun
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tickets
plural
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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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tickets,
present (3rd person singular)
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ticketed,
past participle, past
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ticketing
present participle
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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
-
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:
That year's headline act, American superstar Ariana Grande, performed in a purpose-built stage in another part of Manchester - for a premium ticket price.
From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026
In San Diego, however, where ticket sales represent the largest source of team revenue, the Padres sell more tickets than any major league team besides the Dodgers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 2026
Sami is an IT manager, chauffeur and ticket reseller in addition to his social-media-influencer aspirations, which seem to be built around his proximity to famous faces.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 25, 2026
Public frustration with it had boiled over in 2022, when Ticketmaster botched ticket sales for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026
“The one you call Autumn is now my ticket back to the world of the living.”
From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer
In San Diego, however, where ticket sales represent the largest source of team revenue, the Padres sell more tickets than any major league team besides the Dodgers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 2026
From 2019 to 2021, Sami paid for tickets to high-profile events and photo opportunities with the likes of actors Matt Damon and Benedict Cumberbatch.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 25, 2026
The amount fan Lindsey Burton spent on tickets to 15 of Harry Styles’ 30 coming shows at Madison Square Garden.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026
They claimed this year's EWC reached 850 million viewers across the tournament, with 175,000 tickets sold.
From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026
In Lady Constance’s mind, those hard-to-get tickets to Pirates on Holiday were a well-deserved payment for her own kindness and charitable spirit.
From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood
The trailer driver was not injured, but he was ticketed for having a vehicle that exceeded the maximum height.
From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026
There are a range of free and ticketed events to help people enjoy the spectacle, with venues including a spectacular beachside spot, an observatory and even a pub with its own observatory.
From BBC ● Aug. 11, 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
A good cop, after all, wasn’t the one who ticketed you for doing thirty- three miles an hour in a thirty-mile-an-hour zone.
From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover
In April, a jury found Live Nation illegally monopolized the ticketing market for major concerts in the U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026
The proposal would require the company to open-source its ticketing software and to sell or give up control at about three-quarters of its amphitheaters.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026
With first-come, first-serve purchasing, the ticketing platform will remain open continuously through the Games.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026
Infantino is under increasing pressure following his proposal to create a new company - FFE - to manage the commercial and ticketing rights of all Fifa competitions, including World Cups.
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026
She works at the ticketing counter for a big airline at Philadelphia International Airport.
From "Marcus Vega Doesn't Speak Spanish" by Pablo Cartaya
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.
