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
The next day, 230 guests gathered for a black-tie celebration at the Bougainvillea Estate in Indio, Calif., which was planned by Ms. Geller as a gift. Kaitlin Menza, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2025 On an Instagram carousel, the Inter Miami owner showed a few snippets of the grand black-tie affair, held at Cipriani in downtown Miami on Sunday night. Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2025
Noun
The historic fantasy of the Great White Way as a glamorous montage of gleaming marquees, sparky backstage romances, and elegant audiences reveling in black tie was a Hollywood concoction, arguably false from the start. Frank Rich, Vulture, 8 Apr. 2025 On April 4, Jennifer Lopez attended the black tie premiere of Broadway's Good Night and Good Luck wearing a plunging black velvet gown Saiid Kobeisy with a removable ivory taffeta cape that was anything but low-key. Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 5 Apr. 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

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Cite this Entry

“Black-tie.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/black-tie. Accessed 13 Apr. 2025.

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