dress code

noun

: formally or socially imposed standards of dress

Examples of dress code in a Sentence

The school imposed a new dress code that forbids students from wearing jeans.
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.
The campus, home to some 6,300 students, has a steakhouse that’s part of the meal plan where reservations are required; there’s a dress code and no cellphones are allowed. Anne M. Peterson, Chicago Tribune, 21 Mar. 2026 Continue reading … HIGH STEAKS — Steakhouse chain's dress code crackdown divides diners across social media. FOXNews.com, 20 Mar. 2026 Brazilian celebrities and politicians are known to frequent this exceptionally lavish event, with a black tie, long-dress dress code; tickets start from £600 and go into the thousands. Laura French, TheWeek, 18 Mar. 2026 Why is the dress code coming up now? Dante Motley, Austin American Statesman, 17 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for dress code

Word History

First Known Use

1889, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of dress code was in 1889

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Cite this Entry

“Dress code.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dress%20code. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.

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