Parking Ticket: Definition, Examples & Tips

Meaning 1：parking ticket (parking ticket)

parking ticket 🔊

/ˈpɑrkɪŋ ˈtɪkɪt/

A piece of paper that the police put on your car to say you must pay money because you parked illegally.

parking ticket 🔊

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/ˈpɑrkɪŋ ˈtɪkɪt/

An official notice issued by a traffic authority indicating that a vehicle was parked illegally, requiring the owner to pay a fine.

📁 Category：Laws & Regulations 🔖 Level：intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

Combination of 'park' (to leave a vehicle) and 'ticket' (a slip of paper for a fine).

💡 Mnemonic

Picture a ticket stuck to your windshield — a colorful reminder to park only in legal spots.

📖 Example

I was only five minutes late back to the car, and I already found a parking ticket under my windshield wiper. 🔊 I was only five minutes late back to the car, and I already found a parking ticket under my windshield wiper.

🔗 Collocations

get a parking ticket – to receive a fine notice for illegal parking

pay a parking ticket – to settle the fine indicated on the citation

dispute a parking ticket – to formally challenge the validity of a parking fine

🔄 Synonyms

citation (n.) – An official summons or notice for a minor legal violation, often used interchangeably with ticket.

fine (n.) – A sum of money imposed as a penalty for an offense, particularly a parking violation.

penalty notice (n.) – A formal document informing the recipient of a monetary penalty for a regulatory infraction.

🚫 Antonyms

parking permit (n.) – A document granting permission to park in a specific area without penalty.

exemption (n.) – A situation where a vehicle is legally allowed to park without receiving a ticket.

clearance (n.) – Official confirmation that no parking violation exists on a vehicle.

🌱 Derivatives

park (v.) – to leave a vehicle temporarily in a particular place.

ticket (v.) – to issue a fine notice to a vehicle or person.

parking (n.) – the act of leaving a vehicle in a designated or undesignated spot.

📖 Cultural Story

As cities expanded in the early 20th century, parking enforcement became necessary. The term 'parking ticket' emerged to describe the official fine notice left on illegally parked vehicles.