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
Watch on Deadline Winners will be revealed in a black-tie ceremony February 22 in the Town & Gown ballroom at USC. Patrick Hipes, Deadline, 22 Jan. 2025 On Sunday, January 19, at a pre-inauguration black-tie dinner, Musk, 53, was spotted chatting with his Neuralink colleague Shivon Zilis — the mother of his three youngest children. Kristen Waggoner, Newsweek, 22 Jan. 2025
Noun
As The Times described the day: In white and black tie, in sequins and sables and clouds of perfume, Republican revelers stepped out tonight to the most lavish series of inaugural balls ever held in the nation’s capital. Andrew Ross Sorkin, New York Times, 20 Jan. 2025 Long black tie with a black suit looks funeral-esque. Kevin Lynn, Newsweek, 6 Jan. 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

Dictionary Entries Near black-tie

Cite this Entry

“Black-tie.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/black-tie. Accessed 31 Jan. 2025.

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