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
Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 4 Apr. 2024
If black-tie is on the invitation, stick to long gowns, like this Eliza J Embellished High/Low Chiffon Dress.
—Carly Totten, Southern Living, 15 Mar. 2024
Baptiste, 26, looked stunning in a strapless black-and-white gown with an Old Hollywood inspired updo, while Evans, 42, went for an atypical red suit from Dolce & Gabbana for the black-tie event.
—Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 11 Mar. 2024
Some people abandoned their black-tie attire and high heels to walk uphill from Sunset Boulevard to the Dolby Theatre.
—Jaden Thompson, Variety, 10 Mar. 2024
Billie Eilish, Mark Ronson, Issa Rae, Ludwig Göransson, and more hit the 2024 Oscars’ red carpet this evening, showing up to the ceremony in black-tie looks.
—Madison Bloom, Pitchfork, 10 Mar. 2024
Those times are, after all, just as much worth dressing up for as any black-tie event or boardroom meetings.
—Vanessa Friedman, New York Times, 29 Feb. 2024
Instead of a formal black-tie dinner, maybe an outdoor cookout.
—Noël Burgess, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024
At the institution’s annual black-tie benefit gala, young dancers and ballerinas showcase their learnings with a performance to attendees.
—Maia Torres, Vogue, 28 Feb. 2024
Abe Beame, Rolling Stone, 7 Apr. 2024
On the same page, Eva Marcille added pink eyeliner to an otherwise black tie look which dominated the night.
—India Espy-Jones, Essence, 17 Mar. 2024
His model of choice was the iconic TAG Heuer Carrera with a stainless steel build and black dial that seamlessly coordinated with this black tie look.
—Cait Bazemore, Robb Report, 11 Mar. 2024
Other snaps included in the carousel post showed the couple posing together at a black tie event, in a car ride and by a lake together in Venice, Italy.
—Escher Walcott, Peoplemag, 25 Feb. 2024
Traditionally, wedding dress codes take one of three classic forms: casual, cocktail attire, and black tie.
—Alyssa Hardy, Vogue, 23 Mar. 2024
Idris and Sabrina Elba arrived in style, with Sabrina wearing a nude Versace dress from the Fall/Winter 2001 runway collection with a wet look effect, possibly made from leather, while Idris wore an all-black suit with a black tie and a black button down underneath.
—Kerane Marcellus, Essence, 17 Mar. 2024
The celebs love to make a surprise In-N-Out appearance in black tie (Kim Kardashian’s birthday is top of mind), a trope that my cynical mind reads as performative.
—Sam Stone, Bon Appétit, 15 Mar. 2024
Bertinelli opted for a sleek cream suit look for the Oscars, while Van Halen wore a dark suit, black shirt and black tie.
—Lindsay Kimble, Peoplemag, 11 Mar. 2024
Adjective
Later that night, Jordan kept supporting his pal, posting a video of Combs’ black-tie 50th birthday party at his Beverly Hills mansion in December 2019.
—Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 4 Apr. 2024
If black-tie is on the invitation, stick to long gowns, like this Eliza J Embellished High/Low Chiffon Dress.
—Carly Totten, Southern Living, 15 Mar. 2024
Baptiste, 26, looked stunning in a strapless black-and-white gown with an Old Hollywood inspired updo, while Evans, 42, went for an atypical red suit from Dolce & Gabbana for the black-tie event.
—Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 11 Mar. 2024
Some people abandoned their black-tie attire and high heels to walk uphill from Sunset Boulevard to the Dolby Theatre.
—Jaden Thompson, Variety, 10 Mar. 2024
Billie Eilish, Mark Ronson, Issa Rae, Ludwig Göransson, and more hit the 2024 Oscars’ red carpet this evening, showing up to the ceremony in black-tie looks.
—Madison Bloom, Pitchfork, 10 Mar. 2024
Those times are, after all, just as much worth dressing up for as any black-tie event or boardroom meetings.
—Vanessa Friedman, New York Times, 29 Feb. 2024
Instead of a formal black-tie dinner, maybe an outdoor cookout.
—Noël Burgess, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024
At the institution’s annual black-tie benefit gala, young dancers and ballerinas showcase their learnings with a performance to attendees.
—Maia Torres, Vogue, 28 Feb. 2024
Noun
Carter himself is in on this action, as an investor in the salad chain Sweetgreen, trading the era of black tie and tails, of steak, lobster, and bottle service, spending stupid money with your glamorous friends in public, to a capitalist endgame of accumulating interest by the açai bowl.
—Abe Beame, Rolling Stone, 7 Apr. 2024
On the same page, Eva Marcille added pink eyeliner to an otherwise black tie look which dominated the night.
—India Espy-Jones, Essence, 17 Mar. 2024
His model of choice was the iconic TAG Heuer Carrera with a stainless steel build and black dial that seamlessly coordinated with this black tie look.
—Cait Bazemore, Robb Report, 11 Mar. 2024
Other snaps included in the carousel post showed the couple posing together at a black tie event, in a car ride and by a lake together in Venice, Italy.
—Escher Walcott, Peoplemag, 25 Feb. 2024
Traditionally, wedding dress codes take one of three classic forms: casual, cocktail attire, and black tie.
—Alyssa Hardy, Vogue, 23 Mar. 2024
Idris and Sabrina Elba arrived in style, with Sabrina wearing a nude Versace dress from the Fall/Winter 2001 runway collection with a wet look effect, possibly made from leather, while Idris wore an all-black suit with a black tie and a black button down underneath.
—Kerane Marcellus, Essence, 17 Mar. 2024
The celebs love to make a surprise In-N-Out appearance in black tie (Kim Kardashian’s birthday is top of mind), a trope that my cynical mind reads as performative.
—Sam Stone, Bon Appétit, 15 Mar. 2024
Bertinelli opted for a sleek cream suit look for the Oscars, while Van Halen wore a dark suit, black shirt and black tie.
—Lindsay Kimble, Peoplemag, 11 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'black-tie.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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 18 Apr. 2024.
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