necktie

American  

[nek-tahy] / ˈnɛkˌtaɪ /

noun

1. a band of decorative fabric worn around the neck, under the collar, and tied in front to hang down the front of a shirt or to form a small bow.

2. any band, scarf, or tie fastened at the front of the neck.

3. Slang. a hangman's rope.

---

necktie British  

/ ˈnɛkˌtaɪ /

noun

1. the US name for tie

---

Other Word Forms

• necktieless adjective

Etymology

Origin of necktie

First recorded in 1830–40; neck + tie

Example Sentences

He followed up with the cat meme: a six-second clip that showed a hand adjusting a necktie on a fluffy gray cat.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

Models Bella Hadid and Loli Bahia have also sported them with boyish style, adopting a long-standing tradition of wearing the necktie as a subversive projection of women's equal rights.

From Barron's • Jan. 31, 2026

Others are frequenting pricey stores such as Ralph Lauren, where doormen hand out hot chocolate and a cashmere-silk necktie sells for $250.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 22, 2025

They reinstated him in 1951, but his unique look - baggy plus-fours, white silk shirts and a necktie - wasn't seen so much in the US after that.

From BBC • Jul. 16, 2024

Billy took off his tri-focals and his coat and his necktie and his shoes, and he closed the Venetian blinds and then the drapes, and he lay down on the outside of the coverlet.

From "Slaughterhouse-Five" by Kurt Vonnegut