refine

verb

re·​fine ri-ˈfīn 

refined; refining

transitive verb

1

: to free (something, such as metal, sugar, or oil) from impurities or unwanted material

2

: to free from moral imperfection : elevate

3

: to improve or perfect by pruning or polishing

refine a poetic style

4

: to reduce in vigor or intensity

5

: to free from what is coarse, vulgar, or uncouth

intransitive verb

1

: to become pure or perfected

2

: to make improvement by introducing subtleties or distinctions

refiner noun

Synonyms of refine

• improve
• enhance

Examples of refine in a Sentence

The inventor of the machine spent years refining the design.

The class is meant to help you refine your writing style.

Recent Examples on the Web

The findings, published in the journal Nature Water, could help researchers refine treatment conditions and develop more effective technology combinations to break down these persistent compounds. — Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 14 Oct. 2026

Backed by more than 150 patents, the approach extracts lithium from mineral-rich brines and refines it into materials suitable for batteries. — Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 13 Oct. 2026

Document the friction, refine the process and expand only when the service performs consistently. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 13 Oct. 2026

Meta recently updated its standards for training, evaluating and releasing its most capable AI models, and spokesman Andy Stone pointed to the company’s efforts to refine its board of directors’ governance structure. — Garance Burke, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1582, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for refine

• affine
• airline
• align
• aline
• assign
• baseline
• beamline
• benign
• bloodline
• bovine
• brucine
• byline

Kids Definition

refine

verb

re·​fine ri-ˈfīn 

refined; refining

1

: to come or bring to a pure state

refine sugar

2

: to make or become improved

3

: to free from what is vulgar

4

: to improve by introducing something that makes a small difference

refined upon the older methods

refiner noun

Medical Definition

refine

transitive verb

re·​fine ri-ˈfīn 

refined; refining

: to free (as sugar or oil) from impurities or unwanted material