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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

black ties plural

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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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• black ties
  plural

Etymology

Origin of black tie¹

First recorded in 1855–60

Origin of black-tie²

First recorded in 1930–35

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

black tie black-tie

One thousand attendees in black tie are expected.

From Salon ● Jul. 2, 2026

A photo on his X profile page shows Nekhaila in a crisp white shirt, black tie and fashionable leather jacket.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 25, 2026

“We’re not going to let anybody take over our society,” he told reporters who had rushed to the news conference still dressed in gowns and black tie.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 26, 2026

Hundreds of guests in black tie in the ballroom took cover under tables and later made their way into the hotel lobby and then outdoors as the event was postponed.

From Barron's ● Apr. 26, 2026

He opened his briefcase and pulled out a black tie, which he swapped with the stylish patterned one he was wearing.

From "City Spies" by James Ponti

The dinner—known in media circles as “nerd prom”—is an annual black-tie event at the iconic wing-shaped 1960s-era Washington Hilton that brings together some of the biggest names in journalism and politics.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 26, 2026

Guests at the black-tie White House Correspondents' Dinner scrambled to hide under tables.

From Barron's ● Apr. 26, 2026

At the briefing, Trump expressed dismay at the violent outburst at the Washington Hilton, where the black-tie event has been held for more than 50 years.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 26, 2026

Still wearing his black-tie outfit and flanked by Kash Patel and Pete Hegseth, Trump told reporters that the attempt only strengthened his resolve to finish the White House outbuilding.

From Salon ● Apr. 26, 2026

Like when we tried to throw her dad, Mr. Tanaka, a black-tie forty-fifth birthday party two years ago.

From "From Twinkle, with Love" by Sandhya Menon

Related Words

• tux
• tuxedo