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
: semiformal clothing
gentlemen in black tie for the banquet
Examples of black-tie in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Rosie Jarman, Vogue, 29 May 2026
Longoria’s bow slingback moment came one day before the Global Gift Gala Cannes, the black-tie charity dinner where she is listed as an honorary chair.
—Maggie Clancy, Footwear News, 19 May 2026
Julie Tremaine, PEOPLE, 29 May 2026
And speaking of Sturridge in Dior, Charlotte Le Bon wore a similar men’s Dior tuxedo on the red carpet, which is Anderson’s signature for black tie—no tie, add a scarf.
—José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 23 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for black-tie
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Adjective
An icy blue halter dress can be dressed up with kitten heels and glitzy jewelry for your ceremony, and re-styled with fresh accessories for a black-tie event like a gala or an opera opening months from now.
—Rosie Jarman, Vogue, 29 May 2026
Longoria’s bow slingback moment came one day before the Global Gift Gala Cannes, the black-tie charity dinner where she is listed as an honorary chair.
—Maggie Clancy, Footwear News, 19 May 2026
Noun
Crawford posted a photo of the foursome in their black tie finest at the ceremony on her Instagram.
—Julie Tremaine, PEOPLE, 29 May 2026
And speaking of Sturridge in Dior, Charlotte Le Bon wore a similar men’s Dior tuxedo on the red carpet, which is Anderson’s signature for black tie—no tie, add a scarf.
—José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 23 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for black-tie
Cite this Entry
“Black-tie.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/black-tie. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
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