cocktail party

noun

: an informal or semiformal party or gathering at which cocktails are served

Examples of cocktail party in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The parlor game of guessing who would win the various awards, often played at the Biennale’s cocktail parties and late dinners? —Nate Freeman, Vanity Fair, 8 May 2026

This poached shrimp can be served at a myriad of events, from a backyard barbecue to a holiday cocktail party. —Jenna Sims, Southern Living, 1 May 2026

For a cocktail party For an evening event, a little black dress is always a great choice, and cocktail dress codes allow for pretty much any length, especially midis. —Kelsey Stiegman, Glamour, 30 Apr. 2026

In a scene that’s reminiscent of a Lenny Bruce routine about a white man and a Black man at a cocktail party, Virginia wrongly assumes that the del Valles are Mexican when in fact Pablo is Chilean and Tania was born in New Mexico. —Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 28 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1903, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for cocktail party

• counterparty
• multiparty
• arty
• carty
• hearty
• parti
• astarte
• mccarty
• nonparty