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
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.
For frequent cocktail party hosts, dual kitchen layouts—a front show space with a wet bar and a back prep kitchen with all the necessary appliances for cookery—are becoming more common. Elizabeth Fazzare, Architectural Digest, 6 Mar. 2025 Instead, this photo was taken at a cocktail party and dinner that the Academy threw on February 25 at the Academy Museum. Zach Schonfeld, Vulture, 26 Feb. 2025 The star added a pair of pointed-toe black pumps. 07 of 07 Katie Holmes Katie Holmes attended the Michael Kors cocktail party in a simple-yet-chic black column dress and black overcoat draped over her shoulders. Catherine Santino, People.com, 4 Feb. 2025 State of play — MISSING MAYOR: As the Palisades fire exploded in Los Angeles on Jan. 7, Mayor Karen Bass was posing for photos at an embassy cocktail party in Ghana. Tony Barboza, Los Angeles Times, 18 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for cocktail party

Word History

First Known Use

1903, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cocktail party was in 1903

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Cite this Entry

“Cocktail party.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cocktail%20party. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.

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