refined
Americanadjective
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having or showing well-bred feeling, taste, etc..
refined people.
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freed or free from coarseness, vulgarity, etc..
refined taste.
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freed from impurities.
refined sugar.
- Synonyms:
- distilled
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very subtle, precise, or exact.
refined distinctions.
adjective
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not coarse or vulgar; genteel, elegant, or polite
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subtle; discriminating
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freed from impurities; purified
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of refined
Explanation
Something that's refined has gone through a process to remove impurities. An oil refinery removes impurities from oil. When a person's refined, they have good manners and good taste. A stereotypically refined lady will drink tea every day at four in the afternoon, lift her pinky while drinking, and select only refined (pure white, not raw) sugar as a sweetener. Someone with a refined taste in art has learned how to make judgments about what is good and what they like.
Vocabulary lists containing refined
The Diary of Anne Frank
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Chains
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A Streetcar Named Desire
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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.
Never mind that Platner’s true background is more refined than his campaign biography suggests.
From Slate • Jul. 8, 2026
While later discoveries refined that picture, Bohr's model helped pave the way for modern quantum theory.
From Science Daily • Jul. 5, 2026
It’s a great way to feed your inner child while satisfying the palate you’ve built, sustained and refined into adulthood.
From Salon • Jun. 28, 2026
Private and government stockpiles of oil and refined products around the world have been depleted and countries will have to refill them, basically guaranteeing extra demand.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 23, 2026
She stared at his hands: they were not those of a refined, intelligent aristocrat, but of a man who has nothing interesting to say.
From "The House of the Spirits: A Novel" by Isabel Allende
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.
