dress code

American

noun

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

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

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

dress codes

plural

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.

See Examples For:

dress code

Dirndls and lederhosen only became the dress code in the 1990s.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 7, 2026

Wakeley and Chambers both say that you don't need to lose your personal style when dressing for the office and you can still inject plenty of personality while following a dress code.

From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026

If a wedding invitation omits the dress code, one golden rule remains: Don’t outshine the bride.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026

Khandheria told the woman there was a dress code and if she didn’t put on more clothes, she would be asked to leave.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026

The Yaba warriors hadn’t even been able to enforce the usual dress code; people from all over the city had gathered to lay eyes on him, to touch him.

From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023