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• white tie
  white tie

  noun

  formal evening dress for men (distinguished from black tie).
• white-tie
  white-tie

  adjective

  requiring that guests wear formal attire, especially that men wear white bow ties with formal evening dress.

white tie

¹ American  

noun

1. formal evening dress for men (distinguished from black tie).

2. a white bow tie for men, worn with formal evening dress.

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white-tie ² American  

[hwahyt-tahy, wahyt-] / ˈʰwaɪtˈtaɪ, ˈwaɪt- /

adjective

1. requiring that guests wear formal attire, especially that men wear white bow ties with formal evening dress.

   a white-tie embassy reception.

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white tie British  

noun

1. a white bow tie worn as part of a man's formal evening dress

2. 1. formal evening dress for men

   2. ( as modifier )

      a white-tie occasion

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Etymology

Origin of white-tie

First recorded in 1950–55

Example Sentences

Trump loves to dress up in white tie and tails to hob-nob with the royals.

From Salon • May 3, 2026

Guests, which also included Republican lawmakers and several Fox personalities, wore white tie and enjoyed a three-course meal that included ravioli with herbs from the White House garden and Dover sole.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 29, 2026

Speaking about the ball in 2001, Sir Elton said: "Yes, he came in white tie, and he came straight from a private jet. Yes, I don't think he'd wear white tie otherwise."

From BBC • Jul. 17, 2023

Asked to confirm that Mr. Spacey had arrived by private jet, Mr. John said he supposed that was the case because he did not think anyone wore white tie on a commercial flight.

From New York Times • Jul. 17, 2023

He had put on a white shirt with a white tie and white flannel trousers, and a pair of bright tan, oxblood shoes.

From "Mr. Popper's Penguins" by Florence Atwater and Richard Atwater