sophisticate

[suh-fis-ti-kit, -keyt, suh-fis-ti-keyt]

noun

1. a sophisticated person.

adjective

1. sophisticated.

verb (used with object)

sophisticated, sophisticating 

1. to make less natural, simple, or ingenuous; make worldly-wise.

2. to alter; pervert.

   to sophisticate a meaning beyond recognition.

verb (used without object)

sophisticated, sophisticating 

1. to use sophistry; quibble.

sophisticate

verb

1. (tr) to make (someone) less natural or innocent, as by education

2. to pervert or corrupt (an argument, etc) by sophistry

3. (tr) to make more complex or refined

4. rare,  to falsify (a text, etc) by alterations

noun

1. a sophisticated person

Other Word Forms

• outsophisticate verb (used with object)
• sophisticator noun
• sophistication noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of sophisticate¹

1350–1400; Middle English (adj. and v.) < Medieval Latin sophisticātus (past participle of sophisticāre to tamper with, disguise, trick with words), equivalent to Latin sophistic ( us ) ( sophistic ) + -ātus -ate ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of sophisticate¹

C14: from Medieval Latin sophisticāre, from Latin sophisticus sophistic

Example Sentences

In the post he also accused other media outlets or TV programmes of "smearing" him through "a highly sophisticated system of document and visual alteration".

From BBC

The government has previously said Chinese spies were targeting UK officials across the political, defence and business sectors as part of an increasingly sophisticated espionage operation.

From BBC

The handsome face is a digital photograph fabricated through sophisticated forensic techniques currently used by law enforcement to determine things like the appearance of murder victims.

From Los Angeles Times

Her grandmother, who ignited the family’s collector gene, had an array of antique Tiffany lamps and sophisticated coats, and ran a clothing shop of her own.

From Los Angeles Times

"Some of those will be involved in street level dealing and some of those will be higher and more sophisticated in terms of the networks that they use to bring drugs into Northern Ireland."

From BBC

Related Words

• corrupt 
• degrade 
• pollute