What does "ticket" mean?
A small document that acts as proof of something, often thereby granting the holder some ability.; A pass entitling the holder to admission to a show, concert, sporting event, etc.
Ticket
/ˈtɪk.ɪt/ noun, verb, slang
noun, verb, slang ·Common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A small document that acts as proof of something, often thereby granting the holder some ability.; A pass entitling the holder to admission to a show, concert, sporting event, etc.
- Grammar: ticket is listed as noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: absentee ballot, admission, admission pass, admission ticket.
- Useful contrasts: bar, close, denial.
- Usage evidence: I told them to send me another ticket.
How to use "ticket"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "ticket" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "ticket" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "ticket" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "ticket" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "ticket" is acting as noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "absentee ballot" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "ticket", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A small document that acts as proof of something, often thereby granting the holder some ability.; A pass entitling the holder to admission to a show, concert, sporting event, etc.
"I've got two tickets for the match on Saturday; want to come?"
- 2 the appropriate or desirable thing wordnet
- 3 A small document that acts as proof of something, often thereby granting the holder some ability.; A pass entitling the holder to board a train, a bus, a plane, or other means of transportation.
"train ticket bus ticket plane ticket"
- 4 a list of candidates nominated by a political party to run for election to public offices wordnet
- 5 A small document that acts as proof of something, often thereby granting the holder some ability.; A permit to operate a machine on a construction site.
Show 14 more definitions
- 6 a commercial document showing that the holder is entitled to something (as to ride on public transportation or to enter a public entertainment) wordnet
- 7 A small document that acts as proof of something, often thereby granting the holder some ability.; A certificate or token of a share in a lottery or other scheme for distributing money, goods, etc.
"lottery ticket raffle ticket"
- 8 a summons issued to an offender (especially to someone who violates a traffic regulation) wordnet
- 9 A small document that acts as proof of something, often thereby granting the holder some ability.; A certificate of qualification as a ship's master, pilot, or other crew member.
"The variety of the demands of the railways for staff is almost endless. They require men with master's tickets as dock masters and to command their steamships."
- 10 a label written or printed on paper, cardboard, or plastic that is attached to something to indicate its owner, nature, price, etc. wordnet
- 11 A small document that acts as proof of something, often thereby granting the holder some ability.; A solution to a problem; something that is needed in order to do something. figuratively
"That's the ticket."
- 12 A citation for a traffic violation.
- 13 A service request, used to track complaints or requests that an issue be handled.
""Yeah." It was him, alright; if the world's weariest pair of workboots hadn't tipped her off, his world-weary voice certainly would have. "Where were you?" "My quarters. We've got a full ticket set today, and techs work best without oversight." Neither of these things was untrue, though the curation was more than a little dishonest. "Maybe yours do." Nascimbeni rolled out, back flat against a neon orange creeper, and sat up with an audible wince. "Mine fuck the dog.""
- 14 A list of candidates for an election, or a particular theme to a candidate's manifesto. informal
"Joe has joined the party's ticket for the county elections."
- 15 A small note or notice. dated
"He constantly read his lectures twice a week for above forty years, giving notice of the time to his auditors in a ticket on the school doors."
- 16 A tradesman's bill or account (hence the phrase on ticket and eventually on tick). dated
"Your courtier is mad to take up silks and velvets / On ticket for his mistress."
- 17 A label affixed to goods to show their price or description.
- 18 A visiting card. dated
"I asked for a card, please, and she was quite put about, and said that she didn't require tickets to get in where she visited."
- 19 A warrant. slang
"[…] I need a ticket, Bobby.” Agnor knew a ticket meant a search warrant."
Verb
- 1 To issue someone a ticket, as for travel or for a violation of a local or traffic law.
- 2 provide with a ticket for passage or admission wordnet
- 3 To mark with a ticket.
"to ticket goods in a retail store"
- 4 record a fine as a penalty in a police record wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"I told them to send me another ticket."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "ticket"?
Common synonyms include: absentee ballot, admission, admission pass, admission ticket, affidavit, allowance.
How do you use "ticket" in a sentence?
I told them to send me another ticket.
How do you pronounce "ticket"?
Pronounced /ˈtɪk.ɪt/.
Etymology
Borrowed from Middle Scots tikkat, tikket, from Middle French etiquet m, estiquet m, and etiquette f, estiquette f (“a bill, note, label, ticket”), from Old French estechier, estichier, estequier (“to attach, stick”), (compare Picard estiquier (“to stick, pierce”)), from Frankish *stikkjan, *stekan (“to stick, pierce, sting”), from Proto-Germanic *stikaną, *stikōną, *staikijaną (“to be sharp, pierce, prick”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)teyg- (“to be sharp, to stab”). Doublet of etiquette. More at stick.