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dress code

American  

noun

  1. a set of rules specifying the garb or type of clothing to be worn by a group or by people under specific circumstances.

    a military dress code; The restaurant's dress code requires men to wear jackets and ties at dinner.


dress code British  

noun

  1. a set of rules or guidelines regarding the manner of dress acceptable in an office, restaurant, etc

"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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Islanders had to follow a dress code, and risqué challenges were off the table, said ITV America Chief Executive David George.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 24, 2026

“If there’s a dress code, I respect the dress code,” Harris said.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026

Here’s everything you need to know about the 2026 Met Gala, including the date, start time, theme, dress code, guest list and how to livestream the event.

From Los Angeles Times • May 4, 2026

The dress code for the gala is Fashion Is Art, with guests invited to explore their relationship to fashion as an embodied art form and celebrate depictions of the dressed body throughout art history.

From BBC • May 3, 2026

The dress code at my school forbade cosmetics.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides

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