ticket

1 of 2

noun

tick·​et ˈti-kət How to pronounce ticket (audio)
Synonyms of ticketnext
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 How to pronounce ticket (audio)
adjective
see also:
write one's own ticket

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 of ticket

Relevance

Noun

Verb

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
The ticket purchase limit for that concert was between four and eight, prosecutors said, and REPS allegedly made approximately $833,323 in profit by reselling those tickets. — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 16 Oct. 2026 But last year, during Black Friday, Hello82 put up the first batch of tickets for the festival, promising K-pop acts and events, sans any artists officially attached or a specific date. — Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 16 Oct. 2026
Verb
Morningstar comes to the Twin Cities after spending the last five-plus years as SVP, ticketing at Madison Square Garden Sports. — Sportico Staff, Sportico.com, 16 Oct. 2026 The Knights, ticketed for the 3A playoffs, held a lead against the Ramblers in the fourth quarter. — Mike McGraw, Chicago Tribune, 14 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for ticket

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

1688, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of ticket was in 1529

Phrases Containing ticket

Rhymes for ticket

See All Rhymes for ticket

Browse Nearby Words

ticker-tape parade
ticket
ticket agency
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ticket.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ticket. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

ticket

1 of 2 noun
tick·​et ˈtik-ət How to pronounce ticket (audio)
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

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