definitions

black-tie

[ blak-tahy ]
/ ˈblækˈtaɪ /
|

adjective

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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RELATED WORDS

tux, tuxedo

Nearby words

black-light trap, black-market, black-marketeer, black-on-black, black-tailed deer, black-tie, black-water fever, blackacre, blackamoor, blackback flounder, blackball
Compare white-tie.

Origin of black-tie

First recorded in 1930–35

Definition for black-tie (2 of 2)

black tie

noun

a black bow tie, worn with a dinner jacket.
semiformal evening wear for men (distinguished from white tie).

Origin of black tie

First recorded in 1855–60
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for black-tie

British Dictionary definitions for black-tie

black tie

noun

a black bow tie worn with a dinner jacket
(modifier) denoting an occasion when a dinner jacket should be worn
Compare white tie
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