Definition of refine
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
nounIndulge Your Inner Word Nerd
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 of refine from the Web
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Where Sepia is refined and subtle, expect Proxi to be bold and bright.
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Some Indian tailors who make expensive clothing use cashmere refined by an Irish mill, the last one in the world apparently, and use teasel for that purpose.
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Palmer did not work on refining his craft during offseason OTAs that preceded spring training.
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The Bulldogs are counting on junior Nick Fitzgerald, who took over as the starting quarterback one game into last season, to use the summer to refine his game.
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The High School Summer Conditioning Camp is for high school swimmers who are not currently members of the Mansfield Aquatic Club but want to continue to refine their strokes and maintain fitness levels during the summer.
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For more about technology and finance, watch: Glaab is still refining the drone technology and plans on doing more test flights this summer.
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This could be a simple case of a 20-year-old prospect requiring a short break from major league competition to refine his delivery.
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To produce a game like this requires a team devoted to refining the controls over the life of the development.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'refine'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
1582
First Known Use of refine
1582
REFINE Defined for English Language Learners
refine
playDefinition of refine for English Language Learners
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: to remove the unwanted substances in (something)
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: to improve (something) by making small changes
REFINE Defined for Kids
Medical Dictionary
refine
playMedical Definition of refine
refined
;refining
: to free (as sugar or oil) from impurities or unwanted material
Learn More about refine
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See words that rhyme with refine Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for refine Spanish Central: Translation of refine Nglish: Translation of refine for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of refine for Arabic speakers
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