ticket

1 of 2

noun

tick·​et ˈti-kət 

1

a

: a certificate or token showing that a fare or admission fee has been paid

b

: a means of access or passage

education is the ticket to a good job

2

: a summons or warning issued to a traffic-law violator

3

: a list of candidates for nomination or election : slate

4

: the correct or desirable thing

cooperation, that's the ticket

—K. E. Trombley

5

: a slip or card recording a transaction or undertaking or giving instructions

a savings deposit ticket

6

a

: a document that serves as a certificate, license, or permit

especially : a mariner's or airman's certificate

b

: tag, label

ticketless

ˈti-kət-ləs 

adjective

ticket

2 of 2

verb

ticketed; ticketing; tickets

transitive verb

1

: to furnish or serve with a ticket

ticketed for illegal parking

2

: to attach a ticket to : label

also : designate

Synonyms

Noun

• check
• coupon
• pass
• pasteboard

Verb

• label
• mark
• tag

Examples of ticket in a Sentence

Noun

We bought tickets for the opera.

I got a ticket for speeding.

Verb

He was ticketed for speeding.

methods used for ticketing airline passengers

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

On the morning that tickets to the premiere became available, the festival’s ticketing system temporarily crashed amid an overwhelming surge in demand. —Patrick Brzeski, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Nov. 2024

But some tickets still remain more expensive than others. —Melvin Backman, Quartz, 20 Nov. 2024

Verb

Timed ticketing; choose your 30-minute time slot to enter. —Luann Gibbs, The Enquirer, 14 Nov. 2024

Demand for Oasis tickets has been unsurprisingly high, and it’s resulted in ticketing issues for fans across the globe. —Matthew Strauss, Pitchfork, 5 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle French etiquet, estiquette note attached to something indicating its contents, from Middle French dialect (Picard) estiquier to attach, from Middle Dutch steken to stick; akin to Old High German sticken to prick — more at stick

First Known Use

Noun

1529, in the meaning defined at sense 6a

Verb

1611, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing ticket

• a one-way ticket to Dullsville
• big-ticket
• commutation ticket
• golden ticket
• high-ticket
• hot ticket
• just the ticket
• meal ticket
• one-way ticket
• parking ticket
• return ticket
• round-trip ticket
• scratch ticket
• season ticket
• speeding ticket
• split the ticket
• split ticket
• that's the ticket
• the ticket
• ticket agency
• ticket agent
• ticket office
• ticket-of-leave
• ticket tout
• traffic ticket
• write one's own ticket

Kids Definition

ticket

1 of 2 noun

tick·​et ˈtik-ət 

1

: tag entry 1 sense 4, label

price ticket

2

: a summons or warning issued to a traffic offender

got a ticket for speeding

3

: a paper or token showing that a fare or admission fee has been paid

4

: a list of candidates

5

: a slip or card recording a business deal

ticket

2 of 2 verb

1

: to attach a ticket to : label

2

: to give a traffic ticket to

Etymology

Noun

from obsolete French etiquet "a notice attached to something," derived from early French estiquier "to attach"; of Dutch origin — related to etiquette