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
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have ticketedperfect
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has ticketedperfect 3rd person singular
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has been ticketingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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ticketssingular 3rd person
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is ticketingprogressive 3rd person singular
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are ticketingprogressive
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ticketingparticiple
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have been ticketingperfect progressive
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am ticketingprogressive 1st person singular
Past
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had ticketedperfect
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was ticketingprogressive singular
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were ticketingprogressive plural
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ticketedparticiple
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had been ticketingperfect progressive
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ticketedsimple
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.
Knicks fans spent as much as $13,000 per ticket for the NBA Finals this week; as of Thursday morning, prices for Saturday night’s Game 5 started at roughly $1,700.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 13, 2026
Mexico's president Claudia Sheinbaum also skipped her country's first game on Thursday, saying she did so in protest over the tournament's high ticket prices.
From BBC • Jun. 12, 2026
The year-over-year increase in airline ticket prices for the 12 months ended in May, according to the monthly CPI report.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 12, 2026
He was paying more to refill his rental as he headed for a flight home, after having paid much more for the ticket than earlier in the year.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 12, 2026
She tapped her own ticket against Josie’s, almost as if they were grown-ups toasting some special occasion with crystal goblets.
From "The School for Whatnots" by Margaret Peterson Haddix
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.
