black tie

See synonyms for black tie on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. a black bow tie, worn with a dinner jacket.

  2. semiformal evening wear for men (distinguished from white tie).

Origin of black tie

1
First recorded in 1855–60

Words Nearby black tie

Other definitions for black-tie (2 of 2)

black-tie
[ blak-tahy ]

adjective
  1. requiring that guests wear semiformal attire, especially that men wear black bow ties with tuxedos or dinner jackets: a black-tie dance.

Origin of black-tie

2
First recorded in 1930–35

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use black tie in a sentence

  • A fair-headed man, in a dinner jacket and black tie, became at once their spokesman.

    The Double Four | E. Phillips Oppenheim
  • Nils Petter put on his best blue suit, a starched shirt with collar and cuffs, a black tie and stiff hat.

    Dry Fish and Wet | Anthon Bernhard Elias Nilsen
  • She was dressed in a perfectly cut coat and skirt with a neat collar and a black tie.

    December Love | Robert Hichens
  • He was in evening dress, with black tie and studs which had a chilling effect, and his manner was as cold and calm as usual.

    The Eternal City | Hall Caine
  • Stephen pulled at the bow of his black tie and fumbled at the stud.

    The House by the River | A. P. Herbert

British Dictionary definitions for black tie

black tie

noun
  1. a black bow tie worn with a dinner jacket

  2. (modifier) denoting an occasion when a dinner jacket should be worn

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012