black-tie

1 of 2

adjective

variants or less commonly black tie
: characterized by or requiring the wearing of semiformal evening clothes consisting of a usually black tie and tuxedo for men and a formal dress for women
a black-tie dinner
compare white-tie

black tie

2 of 2

noun

: semiformal clothing
gentlemen in black tie for the banquet

Examples of black-tie in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Adjective
He was dressed in shorts, T-shirt and boots and his black-tie clobber was in a car miles away in Marseilles. Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 25 May 2025 Trump hosted the black-tie event in a personal capacity, the White House said. Soo Rin Kim, ABC News, 23 May 2025
Noun
They were married one month later in a black tie backyard celebration in Malibu, with 14 guests, according to Vogue magazine, which featured the wedding and a story that left Combs out of it. Laura Trujillo, USA Today, 18 May 2025 The Beckhams’ other kids — Harper and her brothers Romeo, Cruz, who both brought their girlfriends — showed up to the black tie affair, which included such guests as Shaq, Tom Brady and Lionel Messi. Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 7 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for black-tie

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1933, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1951, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of black-tie was in 1933

Browse Nearby Words

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Cite this Entry

“Black-tie.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/black-tie. Accessed 2 Jun. 2025.

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