sophisticate

1 of 2

verb

so·​phis·​ti·​cate sə-ˈfi-stə-ˌkāt 

sophisticated; sophisticating

transitive verb

1

: to alter deceptively

especially : adulterate

2

: to deprive of genuineness, naturalness, or simplicity

especially : to deprive of naïveté and make worldly-wise : disillusion

3

: to make complicated or complex

sophisticate

2 of 2

noun

so·​phis·​ti·​cate sə-ˈfi-sti-kət  -stə-ˌkāt 

: a sophisticated person

Synonyms of sophisticate

Verb

• complex
• complicate

Noun

• cosmopolitan

Examples of sophisticate in a Sentence

Verb

there's no need to sophisticate something that is beautiful in its simplicity

vanilla extract that has been sophisticated with corn syrup

Noun

sophisticates laughing at people they thought of as hicks

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

The decor is sophisticated with gold and cream accents, leather bed heads and flecked carpet. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 June 2026

The silk weave and striped pattern are sophisticated in a bohemian kind of way. — Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 10 Mar. 2026

Noun

Few things jar the delicate pretensions of the cocktail sophisticate so much as a drink with a chicken on top. — The New York Times News Service Syndicate, Denver Post, 28 Oct. 2025

Heartland churchgoers, urban sophisticates, football neophytes—everyone got swept up in his will to win. — Taylor Antrim, Vogue, 8 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Medieval Latin sophisticatus, past participle of sophisticare, from Latin sophisticus sophistic, from Greek sophistikos, from sophistēs sophist

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1923, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for sophisticate

• abbreviate
• accelerate
• accommodate
• accumulate
• acuminate
• adjudicate
• adulterate
• affiliate
• agglomerate
• agglutinate
• alleviate
• amalgamate

Kids Definition

sophisticate

1 of 2 verb

so·​phis·​ti·​cate sə-ˈfis-tə-ˌkāt 

sophisticated; sophisticating

: to cause to become sophisticated

sophistication

-ˌfis-tə-ˈkā-shən

noun

sophisticate

2 of 2 noun

so·​phis·​ti·​cate sə-ˈfis-ti-kət 

-tə-ˌkāt

: a sophisticated person

Medical Definition

sophisticate

transitive verb

so·​phis·​ti·​cate sə-ˈfis-tə-ˌkāt 

sophisticated; sophisticating

: to make impure : adulterate

a sophisticated oil