registration

registration — noun

1. the process of putting your name or details onto an official list so that you ca

1.nounB1
Definition

the process of putting your name or details onto an official list so that you can take part in something or use a service.

Example

Naoko completed her registration for the summer art course at the local college.

registration + for [event/course] — typical prepositional pattern

Online registration for the conference closes on Friday, so register now.

Online registration + closes on [date] — temporal use

Common collocations
  • registration form
  • registration fee
  • registration desk
  • online registration
  • complete registration
  • registration for
Synonyms
  • enrollment

    more common in educational settings; implies being added to a class or program

  • sign-up

    less formal, often used for events or short activities

  • admission

    focuses on being allowed to enter, not the act of recording

Grammar Patterns

registration for [event/course/institution]

registration + noun (form/fee/number)

complete/fill out registration

Usage Note

Frequently used before a noun to describe the type of document or step: registration form, registration fee, registration desk.

Common Mistakes

The registration of the conference was expensive.
The registration fee for the conference was expensive.
Registration alone does not mean the cost; use registration fee or simply the fee.

2. the letters and numbers printed on a vehicle's license plate that serve as its o

2.nounB1
Definition

the letters and numbers printed on a vehicle's license plate that serve as its official identifying code.

Example

Kenji copied the car's registration — KXZ 472 — onto a scrap of paper.

registration + specific alphanumeric code — typical use for identification

The stolen motorcycle had a French registration, so the police contacted Interpol.

registration + country/nationality — indicating where a vehicle is registered

Common collocations
  • vehicle registration
  • registration plate
  • registration number
  • foreign registration
  • check registration
Synonyms

Grammar Patterns

[vehicle's] registration

registration + noun (plate/number/document)

registration + nationality/country

Usage Note

In British English, often called a registration number or number plate; in American English, license plate number is more common.

Common Mistakes

I wrote down the license registration numbers of the car.
I wrote down the car's registration.
Registration alone refers to the identifying code; adding numbers or license is redundant.

3. an official paper or digital record that proves someone or something has been en

3.nounB1
Definition

an official paper or digital record that proves someone or something has been entered into a register.

Example

Sana kept the boat's registration in a waterproof folder inside the cabin.

registration as a physical document kept in a location

The university sent Kevin his registration by email within three working days.

Common collocations
  • vehicle registration
  • marriage registration
  • registration document
  • registration certificate
  • show registration
  • lose registration
Synonyms
  • certificate

    a formal document confirming a fact, often with legal standing

  • license

    a document giving official permission, not just confirmation of a record

Grammar Patterns

[owner's/vehicle's] registration

registration + noun (document/certificate)

show/present registration

Common Mistakes

I lost the registration of my car.
I lost my car registration.
The possessive or compound form (car registration) sounds more natural than a prepositional phrase.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Registration, enrollment, sign-up, and admission all refer to putting your name on an official list, but they differ in context and formality. Registration is the broadest term, used for courses, conferences, vehicles, and official records. Enrollment is more specific to educational settings — you enroll in a degree program or a school. Sign-up is informal and common for short-term activities, clubs, or online services. Admission focuses on the permission aspect: being allowed to enter a school or event rather than the act of recording. For example, you complete registration for a conference, submit enrollment paperwork for a university program, do a quick sign-up for a gym class, and receive an admission letter from a college.

enrollment ↗sign-upadmission ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • proof of registration
  • registration form
  • registration fee
  • registration number
  • registration desk
  • registration document

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Registration comes from the Latin word registratio, based on regesta meaning 'things recorded,' which in turn comes from regere 'to keep straight or guide.' The word passed through Medieval Latin registrum ('a list or record'), then into Old French as registre, and finally into English as register in the 14th century. The noun registration was formed later to describe the process or result of having one's details entered into a register.