sophistication
Americannoun
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sophisticated character, ideas, tastes, or ways as the result of education, worldly experience, etc..
the sophistication of the wealthy.
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change from the natural character or simplicity, or the resulting condition.
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complexity, as in design or organization.
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impairment or debasement, as of purity or genuineness.
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the use of sophistry; a sophism, quibble, or fallacious argument.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of sophistication
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Medieval Latin sophisticātiōn-, stem of sophisticātiō; equivalent to sophisticate + -ion
Explanation
Sophistication is the quality that belongs to a person who appears wise and glamorous. Sipping tea and appreciating opera are both stereotypical signs of sophistication. The noun sophistication can also be used in a slightly different way, to describe a deep understanding, or an almost enlightened state. Before the 1800s, sophistication meant "the use of sophistry," or using mistaken or deceitful arguments, although the root word for both sophistication and "sophistry" is the Greek sophistes, or "wise man."
Vocabulary lists containing sophistication
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
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I Was Their American Dream
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Content Summary 4.7: Early Modern Western Society and Culture
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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.
While plutonium-based devices require a higher degree of design sophistication, it’s naive to assume those technical hurdles are insurmountable.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026
Armenia has some legal tools to counter these threats, he said, but like many countries "they are not yet fully adapted to the scale and sophistication of the threat".
From BBC • May 3, 2026
“Located just minutes from Meadowood Resort and downtown Saint Helena, this Napa Valley estate promises a lifestyle of luxury, privacy, and sophistication, perfectly suited for those seeking the ultimate in resort-style living,” adds the listing.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 20, 2026
But its sophistication masks the fact that it’s a more seductive version of the same error.
From Salon • Apr. 6, 2026
The words start to spill out, without finesse or sophistication.
From "Insurgent" by Veronica Roth
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.
