sophisticated

so·phis·ti·cat·ed

adjective \sə-ˈfis-tə-ˌkā-təd\

Definition of SOPHISTICATED

1

: deprived of native or original simplicity: as

a : highly complicated or developed : complex <sophisticated electronic devices>

b : having a refined knowledge of the ways of the world cultivated especially through wide experience <a sophisticated lady>

2

: devoid of grossness: as

a : finely experienced and aware <a sophisticated columnist>

b : intellectually appealing <a sophisticated novel>

— so·phis·ti·cat·ed·ly adverb

Examples of SOPHISTICATED

1. She was a sophisticated and well-traveled woman.
2. a swank and sophisticated restaurant
3. Her knitting technique is more sophisticated than mine.
4. Puck's mix of casual and sophisticated elements has become the most prevalent style of L.A. dining today. —Harvey Steiman, Wine Spectator, 31 Mar. 2009
5. Sophisticated investors took Moody's and S&P's word for it, and it turned out that the agencies didn't know what they were doing. —Andy Serwer et al., Time, 29 Sept. 2008
6. “These students want the amenities they grew up with at home—their own rooms, their own baths, along with some of the finer things in life. They're a more sophisticated consumer.” —Camille Sweeney, New York Times Real Estate Magazine, Spring 2007
7. Sonar devices can locate an enemy's sophisticated, almost-silent diesel submarines by, ironically, making a deafening noise—sometimes above 230 decibels, as loud as a Saturn V rocket blasting off. —Dick Russell, Mother Jones, March & April 2006

Origin of SOPHISTICATED

Medieval Latin sophisticatus

First Known Use: 1601

Related to SOPHISTICATED

Synonyms

cosmopolitan, smart, worldly–wise, worldly

Antonyms

guileless, ingenuous, innocent, naive (or naïve), unsophisticated, untutored, unworldly, wide-eyed

Related Words

suave, urbane; civilized, cultivated, cultured, polished, refined; experienced, knowing, practiced, schooled, seasoned; bored, cynical, jaded, skeptical; down-to-earth, pragmatic (also pragmatical), realistic, sober

Near Antonyms

callow, green, inexperienced, raw; parochial, provincial, rustic (also rustical); philistine, uncivilized, uncultured, unrefined; childlike, simple, simpleminded; idealistic, impractical; uncritical, unknowing

Synonym Discussion of SOPHISTICATED

sophisticated, worldly-wise, blasé mean experienced in the ways of the world. sophisticated often implies refinement, urbanity, cleverness, and cultivation <guests at her salon were usually rich and sophisticated>. worldly-wise suggests a close and practical knowledge of the affairs and manners of society and an inclination toward materialism <a worldly-wise woman with a philosophy of personal independence>. blasé implies a lack of responsiveness to common joys as a result of a real or affected surfeit of experience and cultivation <blasé travelers who claimed to have been everywhere>.

Rhymes with SOPHISTICATED

affiliated, articulated, coordinated, decaffeinated, encapsulated, incorporated, inebriated, interrelated, intoxicated, opinionated, premeditated, uncalculated, uncelebrated, uncomplicated, underinflated, unmediated, unmitigated, unsaturated, unsegregated