refined

adjective

re·​fined ri-ˈfīnd 

1

: free from impurities

2

: fastidious, cultivated

3

: precise, exact

a refined test for radioactivity

Synonyms of refined

• evolved
• improved
• advanced
• higher
• developed

Examples of refined in a Sentence

She has become more refined in her painting technique.

He has very refined manners.

refined and elegant works of art

Recent Examples on the Web

Diesel felt the pressure even more acutely, rising in all but a few states, as Ukraine’s attacks on Russian refining infrastructure continue to impact refined product prices more than crude oil itself. — Miami Herald Staff Report, Miami Herald, 17 Aug. 2026

Athletes have become more refined with their training techniques. — Los Angeles Times, 16 Aug. 2026

Unlike that spot, which was enormous and famed for a degree of raucousness, Cynthia is a tasting-menu restaurant, refined and notably tiny. — Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2026

Rather than requiring highly purified feedstock to make a specialized semiconductor material, manufacturers could potentially start with more abundant and less refined iron ore. — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 15 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1582, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for refined

• countersigned
• disinclined
• humankind
• interlined
• intertwined
• mastermind
• misaligned
• nonaligned
• predefined
• realigned
• reassigned
• recombined

Kids Definition

refined

adjective

re·​fined

ri-ˈfīnd

1

: socially well-trained : well-bred, cultivated

very refined manners

2

: freed from impurities : pure

refined sugar

3

: carried to a fine point : subtle

refined measurements