a tag, usually of metal, bearing a sequence of letters, numbers or both, and placed at the front and back of a motor vehicle, as for identification purposes
A license plate is a sign on the front and back of a vehicle that shows its license number. A rectangular, usually metal plate that bears a sequence of numbers, letters, or both and is issued by a government to identify an officially registered vehicle. one of the signs with numbers on it at the front and back of a car British Equivalent: number plate