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
Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 15 Sep. 2025
The black-tie event was attended by many of the couple's celebrity friends, including Oprah Winfrey, Gayle King, Orlando Bloom, Kim Kardashian, Khloé Kardashian, Kris Jenner, Kylie Jenner, Karlie Kloss, Leonardo DiCaprio, Usher, and Tom Brady.
—Ingrid Vasquez, PEOPLE, 12 Sep. 2025
Skyler Caruso, PEOPLE, 15 Sep. 2025
Kristen Bell at the 2025 SAG Awards, Natasha Rothwell at the 2025 Spirit Awards and Sennott at the 2025 Oscars also jokingly — perhaps not entirely — confessed to popping blockers before staring down ballrooms filled with black ties and gowns.
—Benjamin Svetkey, HollywoodReporter, 10 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for black-tie
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Adjective
Rather than bold color palettes or unorthodox styling, some of Sunday’s best menswear simply reimagined the codes of black-tie dress.
—Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 15 Sep. 2025
The black-tie event was attended by many of the couple's celebrity friends, including Oprah Winfrey, Gayle King, Orlando Bloom, Kim Kardashian, Khloé Kardashian, Kris Jenner, Kylie Jenner, Karlie Kloss, Leonardo DiCaprio, Usher, and Tom Brady.
—Ingrid Vasquez, PEOPLE, 12 Sep. 2025
Noun
His getup was classic, but cool, layering a black leather jacket by the brand over a white button-up shirt with a black tie.
—Skyler Caruso, PEOPLE, 15 Sep. 2025
Kristen Bell at the 2025 SAG Awards, Natasha Rothwell at the 2025 Spirit Awards and Sennott at the 2025 Oscars also jokingly — perhaps not entirely — confessed to popping blockers before staring down ballrooms filled with black ties and gowns.
—Benjamin Svetkey, HollywoodReporter, 10 Sep. 2025
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 20 Sep. 2025.
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