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• black tie
  black tie

  noun

  a black bow tie, worn with a dinner jacket.
• black-tie
  black-tie

  adjective

  requiring that guests wear semiformal attire, especially that men wear black bow ties with tuxedos or dinner jackets.

black tie

¹ American  

noun

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

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

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black-tie ² American  

[blak-tahy] / ˈblækˈtaɪ /

adjective

1. requiring that guests wear semiformal attire, especially that men wear black bow ties with tuxedos or dinner jackets.

   a black-tie dance.

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black tie British  

noun

1. a black bow tie worn with a dinner jacket

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

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Etymology

Origin of black tie¹

First recorded in 1855–60

Origin of black-tie²

First recorded in 1930–35

Example Sentences

Crowded into the ballroom were Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance, several cabinet members and top lawmakers, and hundreds of guests in black tie.

From Barron's • Apr. 26, 2026

The actor did change from the formal black ensemble he wore to the show and to the restaurant into a brown double-breasted suit with a white shirt and black tie for the Vanity Fair party.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 16, 2026

Think Orient Express but with more Shiraz and less black tie: The Aurora and Australis suites come with queen beds, butler service and free-flowing Champagne.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 20, 2025

At the six-minute Crown Court hearing on Tuesday, Coote, who wore a navy suit and black tie, spoke only to confirm his name and enter his guilty plea.

From BBC • Oct. 14, 2025

He was dressed in a black suit, black shirt, and black tie.

From "Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics" by Chris Grabenstein

Related Words

• tux
• tuxedo