refined en · ADJ
Pronunciation
- /ɹɪˈfaɪnd/
- (US) audio
Meanings
- (obsolete, of people) Precise, freed from imprecision ▸ Sagacious, sometimes (derogatory) oversubtle or feigning sagacity.
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(of thought) Precise, freed from imprecision ▸ Subtle, scrupulous, carefully thought out.
The argument, while not persuasive, is quite refined.
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(of processes) Precise, freed from imprecision ▸ Developed, improved.
The curriculum has been carefully refined to meet the needs of foreign students.
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(of language) Cultured, freed from vulgarity ▸ Elevated and polished.
In the British Isles, Oxbridge is considered refined; Geordie somewhat less so.
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(of people) Cultured, freed from vulgarity ▸ Elegant, sometimes (derogatory) affected, prissy, or bloodless.
Don Draper was a man of refined tastes.
"Jesus Christ! Was my folks refined. My mam she wouldn't think-a lettin' us young'uns call a pee pot a pee pot. A chamber's what she called it... And by God! Us young'uns had ter call the pee pot a chamber or git our God damn necks wrang."
1946, Elizabeth Metzger Howard, Before the Sun Goes Down, page 31:
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(of products) Purified, reduced in or freed from impurities ▸ Highly-processed and pure.
Under current guidelines, refined sugar must be at least five times purer than its raw counterpart.
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(of metal) Purified, reduced in or freed from impurities ▸ Free of dross or alloy.
The Temple at Jerusalem preferred Tyrian shekels, since even with Ba'al's portrait they bore highly refined silver.
- (obsolete, of people) Purified, reduced in or freed from impurities ▸ Morally pure.
- (of a market) Dealing in a refined product such as sugar or petroleum.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| more refined | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic | |
| most refined | Degree=Sup | lexicographic |
Deriveds
ultrarefined · superrefined · refinedness · refined bitumen · semirefined · unrefined · refined sugar · refinedly · biorefined
Synonyms
Translations (50)
ca refinat (purified) · fr affiné (cultured, elegant) · hu kifinomult (cultured, elegant) · grc ἀστεῖος (cultured, elegant) · tr rafine (purified) · da elegant (cultured, elegant) · bg изискан (cultured, elegant) · ru благоро́дный (cultured, elegant) · de gepflegt (cultured, elegant) · no raffinert (cultured, elegant) · da raffineret (cultured, elegant) · ca refinat (cultured, elegant) · cmn 斯文 (cultured, elegant) · de verfeinert (purified) · tr rafine (cultured, elegant) · ru очи́щенный (purified) · de gereinigt (purified) · ru изы́сканный (cultured, elegant) · da forfinet (cultured, elegant) · ota نازك (cultured, elegant) · fi hienostunut (cultured, elegant) · gd eagarach (cultured, elegant) · ru изы́сканный (freed from vulgarity) · gd fìnealta (cultured, elegant) · nl verfijnd (cultured, elegant) · fa بافرهنگ (cultured, elegant) · bg изтънчен (freed from vulgarity) · mi parakore (purified) · nl verfijnd (freed from vulgarity) · bg изи́скан (freed from vulgarity) · la lautus (cultured, elegant) · gd lìomhte (cultured, elegant) · el εκλεπτυσμένος (cultured, elegant) · ru утончённый (cultured, elegant) · bg рафиниран (purified) · la cultus (cultured, elegant) · cmn 斯文 (freed from vulgarity) · bg пречистен (purified) · ga galánta (cultured, elegant) · tr incelikli (cultured, elegant) · grc κομψός (cultured, elegant) · es paltón (cultured, elegant) · fr raffiné (cultured, elegant) · hu finomított (purified) · gv aaheelit (purified) · de kultiviert (cultured, elegant) · hu rafinált (purified) · de raffiniert (purified) · fi hienostunut (freed from vulgarity) · es refinado (cultured, elegant)