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Synonyms

sophisticated

American  
[suh-fis-ti-key-tid] / səˈfɪs tɪˌkeɪ tɪd /

adjective

  1. (of a person, ideas, tastes, manners, etc.) altered by education, experience, etc., so as to be worldly-wise; not naive.

    a sophisticated young socialite;

    the sophisticated eye of an experienced journalist.

    Synonyms:
    cultivated, experienced, cosmopolitan, worldly
    Antonyms:
    naive
  2. pleasing or satisfactory to the tastes of sophisticates, or people who are educated, cultured, and worldly-wise.

    sophisticated music.

  3. deceptive; misleading.

  4. complex or intricate, as a system, process, piece of machinery, or the like.

    a sophisticated electronic control system.

  5. of, for, or reflecting educated taste, knowledgeable use, etc..

    Many Americans are drinking more sophisticated wines now.


sophisticated British  
/ səˈfɪstɪˌkeɪtɪd /

adjective

  1. having refined or cultured tastes and habits

  2. appealing to sophisticates

    a sophisticated restaurant

  3. unduly refined or cultured

  4. pretentiously or superficially wise

  5. (of machines, methods, etc) complex and refined

"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

  • hypersophisticated adjective
  • hypersophisticatedly adverb
  • oversophisticated adjective
  • sophisticatedly adverb
  • supersophisticated adjective
  • ultrasophisticated adjective
  • ultrasophisticatedly adverb

Etymology

Origin of sophisticated

First recorded in 1595–1605; sophisticate + -ed 2

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.

The sophisticated Griswold worried that too many intelligent citizens were being duped by what he considered ghostly nonsense.

From Literature

It is growing with the advent of electric vehicles, robots, and more sophisticated military technology.

From Barron's

The most sophisticated applications have needs that will challenge AI capabilities.

From The Wall Street Journal

These investments are easy to buy, require relatively low minimums and are backed by blue-chip asset managers and sophisticated fintech firms.

From MarketWatch

The fault line exposed now is that private credit is being offered to retail investors and wealthy individuals whose liquidity preferences are different from sophisticated, more patient institutional investors.

From MarketWatch