red-carpet

1 of 2

adjective

red-car·​pet ˈred-ˈkär-pət 

: marked by ceremonial courtesy

red-carpet treatment

red carpet

2 of 2

noun

: a greeting or reception marked by ceremonial courtesy

—usually used in the phrase roll out the red carpet

Examples of red-carpet in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Serious cinephiles don’t much care whether or not Cannes hosts the premiere of a film that will shortly be in multiplexes everywhere, but the red-carpet currency of a Cruise-level megastar at the festival is not to be discounted. —Guy Lodge, Variety, 26 May 2026

Perhaps this is even one of those not-so-secret red-carpet style-auditions that so plague film awards? —Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026

Noun

Dern and Long’s red carpet looks mirrored one another, as the former actress wore a black gown adorned with baby pink feathers, and Long stunned in a sparkly all-pink ensemble. —Mckinley Franklin, HollywoodReporter, 27 May 2026

This year, stars like Miley Cyrus, Blake Lively, and Anne Hathaway have all revived vintage Versace numbers on the red carpet—pointing to a growing movement that, yes, it’s bound to be a hot Versace summer. —Christian Allaire, Vogue, 27 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

from the traditional laying down of a red carpet for important guests to walk on

First Known Use

Adjective

1947, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1934, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for red-carpet

• carpet

Kids Definition

red-carpet

adjective

red-car·​pet

-ˈkär-pət

: marked by ceremonial courtesy

red-carpet treatment