refined
Americanadjective
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having or showing well-bred feeling, taste, etc..
refined people.
-
freed or free from coarseness, vulgarity, etc..
refined taste.
-
freed from impurities.
refined sugar.
- Synonyms:
- distilled
-
very subtle, precise, or exact.
refined distinctions.
adjective
-
not coarse or vulgar; genteel, elegant, or polite
-
subtle; discriminating
-
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.
No dichotomy better represents Berlant’s razor-sharp, thoroughly tasteful wit, which sits halfway between refined humorist and go-for-broke court jester.
From Salon ● Oct. 16, 2026
Prices of refined petroleum products remain between 70 and 95 percent above pre-war levels, putting pressure on countries dependent on energy imports for economic activity.
From Barron's ● Oct. 13, 2026
Adnoc L&S supports offshore drilling projects and operates more than 100 ships used to transport crude oil, liquefied natural gas and refined products globally.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026
However, refined product flows remain largely constrained, with diesel supply balances very tight, said McNally.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 12, 2026
His kid was very handsome, well dressed, and quite refined.
From "The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother" by James McBride
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
