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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
Guilfoyle attended a black-tie welcome reception over the weekend in Athens. Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 4 Nov. 2025 Look; an e-commerce shopping site; two newsstands; a brick-and-mortar shop on Hudson Street; a knock-their-socks-off black-tie party at Cannes in 2023; and, most recently, a joyous dinner to celebrate the winners of our first annual Tom Wolfe literary prizes. Graydon Carter, Air Mail, 1 Nov. 2025
Noun
For those black tie events, that was like our wedding every time. Janine Rubenstein, PEOPLE, 28 Oct. 2025 Each couple was dressed for a black tie affair, matching their respective partner eloquently. Alexa Stone updated October 21, Kansas City Star, 21 Oct. 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 10 Nov. 2025.

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