refine

American  

[ri-fahyn] / rɪˈfaɪn /

verb (used with object)

refines, present (3rd person singular) refined, past participle, past refining present participle

1. to bring to a fine or a pure state; free from impurities.

   to refine metal, sugar, or petroleum.

2. to purify from what is coarse, vulgar, or debasing; make elegant or cultured.

3. to bring to a finer state or form by purifying.

4. to make more fine, subtle, or precise.

   to refine one's writing style.

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verb (used without object)

refines, present (3rd person singular) refined, past participle, past refining present participle

1. to become pure.

   The silver is refining in the furnace.

2. to become more fine, elegant, or polished.

   His parents hope that his manners will refine as he gets older.

3. to make fine distinctions in thought or language.

verb phrase

1. refine on / upon to improve by inserting finer distinctions, superior elements, etc..

   to refine on one's previous work.

refine British  

/ rɪˈfaɪn /

verb

1. to make or become free from impurities, sediment, or other foreign matter; purify

2. (tr) to separate (a mixture) into pure constituents, as in an oil refinery

3. to make or become free from coarse characteristics; make or become elegant or polished

4. to remove (something impure or extraneous)

5. (intr; often foll by on or upon) to enlarge or improve (upon) by making subtle or fine distinctions

6. (tr) to make (language) more subtle or polished

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• prerefine
  verb (used with object)
• refiner
  noun
• self-refining
  adjective
• refinable
  adjective
• unrefining
  adjective
• superrefine
  verb (used with object)

Conjugated Forms

Present

• has refined
  perfect 3rd person singular
• have refined
  perfect
• are refining
  progressive
• am refining
  progressive 1st person singular
• refining
  participle
• refines
  singular 3rd person
• has been refining
  perfect progressive 3rd person singular
• is refining
  progressive 3rd person singular
• have been refining
  perfect progressive

Past

• had refined
  perfect
• were refining
  progressive plural
• was refining
  progressive singular
• refined
  participle
• refined
  simple
• had been refining
  perfect progressive

Future

• will refine
  simple
• will have refined
  perfect
• will be refining
  progressive
• will have been refining
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of refine

First recorded in 1575–85; re- + fine ¹

Explanation

When you refine something, you make it better. Whether it's sugar or an essay, refining it requires fixing its flaws. You may think you created a masterpiece on the first try. But there's always room to refine. More than just working out the kinks, refining something means you're going to fine tune it, hone it to perfection, and make it more precise. In scientific terms, to refine something means to reduce it down to a pure state. At the dinner table, you can please grandma by refining your manners.

Example Sentences

To untangle these possibilities, we need much larger comparative datasets of lesions in wild primates, only then can we begin to trace broader patterns and refine our interpretations of the fossil record.

From Science Daily • Jun. 8, 2026

Quantinuum has had ample time to refine its flagship trapped-ion technology, supported by a parent with deep pockets.

From Barron's • Jun. 3, 2026

So does the Spaniard need to refine his style for next season to push Arsenal to the next level, build up their possession numbers, and keep challengers at bay?

From BBC • May 31, 2026

Google is working to establish search as the entry point to its AI features, and users can now interact with multimodal inputs and AI-powered suggestions to refine their queries.

From MarketWatch • May 20, 2026

To rehearse and refine the procedure, Dr. Atkinson and Dr. Emmett took human skulls home at night and practiced cutting them up.

From "Ugly" by Robert Hoge

Related Words

• civilize
• clarify
• cultivate
• hone
• improve