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refinement

American  
[ri-fahyn-muhnt] / rɪˈfaɪn mənt /

noun

  1. fineness or elegance of feeling, taste, manners, language, etc.

  2. an instance of refined refined feeling, manners, etc.

  3. the act or process of refining.

  4. the quality or state of being refined. refined.

  5. a subtle point or distinction.

  6. subtle reasoning.

  7. an improved, higher, or extreme form of something.

    a refinement of the old system.

  8. Mathematics. a set whose elements include the elements of a given set.

refinement British  
/ rɪˈfaɪnmənt /

noun

  1. the act of refining or the state of being refined

  2. a fine or delicate point, distinction, or expression; a subtlety

  3. fineness or precision of thought, expression, manners, etc; polish or cultivation

  4. a device, change, adaptation, etc, designed to improve performance or increase efficiency

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • nonrefinement noun
  • prerefinement noun
  • self-refinement noun
  • superrefinement noun

Etymology

Origin of refinement

First recorded in 1605–15; refine + -ment

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.

"He conquered the world with his refinement... and he enhanced Italy, because he brought Italy to the world. The greatest people wore Valentino," he told AFP.

From Barron's

"With certain refinements, it works even in complex materials where electrons interact strongly with one another."

From Science Daily

Earlier, the president of the Fire Commission said she was told that a draft of the after-action report was sent to the mayor’s office for “refinements,” though she did not know what they were.

From Los Angeles Times

With further refinement, this work could one day contribute to a new and effective treatment for pancreatic cancer.

From Science Daily

These paintings are more polished and more detailed than the artist’s earlier work, and this refinement ramps up their emotional power.

From The Wall Street Journal

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.