sophisticated
Americanadjective
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(of a person, ideas, tastes, manners, etc.) altered by education, experience, etc., so as to be worldly-wise; not naive.
a sophisticated young socialite;
the sophisticated eye of an experienced journalist.
- Synonyms:
- cultivated, experienced, cosmopolitan, worldly
- Antonyms:
- naive
-
pleasing or satisfactory to the tastes of sophisticates, or people who are educated, cultured, and worldly-wise.
sophisticated music.
-
deceptive; misleading.
-
complex or intricate, as a system, process, piece of machinery, or the like.
a sophisticated electronic control system.
-
of, for, or reflecting educated taste, knowledgeable use, etc..
Many Americans are drinking more sophisticated wines now.
adjective
-
having refined or cultured tastes and habits
-
appealing to sophisticates
a sophisticated restaurant
-
unduly refined or cultured
-
pretentiously or superficially wise
-
(of machines, methods, etc) complex and refined
Other Word Forms
- hypersophisticated adjective
- hypersophisticatedly adverb
- oversophisticated adjective
- sophisticatedly adverb
- supersophisticated adjective
- ultrasophisticated adjective
- ultrasophisticatedly adverb
Etymology
Origin of sophisticated
First recorded in 1595–1605; sophisticate + -ed 2
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Backed by Bill Gates’s Breakthrough Energy and venture-capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, among others, KoBold says machine learning allows it to collect and analyze more sophisticated data about deposits than conventional exploration methods.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 28, 2026
Back then, investors were worried about a Chinese artificial-intelligence startup that said it was able to train a sophisticated AI model with far less compute than what other developers seemed to require.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 27, 2026
"Their track record for building and operating technologically sophisticated live performance venues is unrivaled."
From BBC • Mar. 26, 2026
Artificial intelligence is making cyberattacks increasingly sophisticated and costlier for businesses, reinsurer Munich Re said Wednesday, warning of methods ranging from highly personalised phishing emails to computer-generated, convincing fake identities.
From Barron's • Mar. 25, 2026
“Yes, I can see well enough,” I managed in the French that still tasted new on my tongue, and then tried to figure out what else a competent, sophisticated girl might say in response.
From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
