Meaning & use
dress-coded
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“dress-coded” is a form of “dress-code”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meaning
verbtransitive or intransitiveinformal
Past form of dress-code: formally warned or penalized for breaking a dress code.
Grammar: Most often heard in the passive: be/get dress-coded; an active school dress-codes a student is possible but less common.
Patterns
- be dress-coded
- get dress-coded for something
Two students were dress-coded for wearing hats in class.
She got dress-coded at the game even though her shirt matched the school colors.
Common combinations
- be dress-coded
- Anyone in ripped jeans may be dress-coded at the dance.
- get dress-coded for
- He got dress-coded for shorts on a hot exam day.
- unfairly dress-coded
- Parents complained that girls were unfairly dress-coded more often.
Synonyms and how they differ
- reprimanded
- Reprimanded is neutral and formal for any warning; dress-coded is specific to clothing rules.
- disciplined
- Disciplined is broader and can include detention or suspension, not just a clothing warning.
- called out
- Called out is informal and general; dress-coded names an official rule enforcement.
Word family
- dress code noun
- The written or official rules about acceptable clothing.
Commonly confused: dress-coded or dress code?
dress-coded vs dress code
Dress code is the noun for the rules; dress-coded is the past/inflected verb form meaning someone was penalized under those rules.
Practice
Which sentence uses the usual grammar for this informal verb?
Choose one answer.
The normal pattern is passive: be/get dress-coded for an item. “Dress code” without -ed is the noun rule, not the past verb.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “dress-coded”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.