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.

---

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

---

Etymology

Origin of license plate

First recorded in 1900–05

Example Sentences

Arkansas doesn’t require front license plates, so the number of cars from far-flung origins like Washington, Montana, and Ontario stick out.

From Literature

Cars whose license plates ended in even numbers could buy gas on even-numbered days.

From Los Angeles Times

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

Once a bike crosses those thresholds through design or modification it is treated as an e-motorcycle and subject to the same requirements as a traditional motorcycle: a valid license, registration, insurance and a license plate.

From Los Angeles Times

A separate study of the department’s overall license plate reader network is already underway, and is expected to be completed this summer.

From Los Angeles Times