- past tense form of sophisticate.
- past participle of sophisticate.
sophisticated
Americanadjective
-
(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
-
pleasing or satisfactory to the tastes of sophisticates, or people who are educated, cultured, and worldly-wise.
sophisticated music.
-
deceptive; misleading.
-
complex or intricate, as a system, process, piece of machinery, or the like.
a sophisticated electronic control system.
-
of, for, or reflecting educated taste, knowledgeable use, etc..
Many Americans are drinking more sophisticated wines now.
adjective
-
having refined or cultured tastes and habits
-
appealing to sophisticates
a sophisticated restaurant
-
unduly refined or cultured
-
pretentiously or superficially wise
-
(of machines, methods, etc) complex and refined
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of sophisticated
First recorded in 1595–1605; sophisticate + -ed 2
Explanation
If something is sophisticated, it's complicated and intricate. The inner workings of a computer are sophisticated. Sophisticated can also refer to having good taste. Either way, sophisticated things are impressive. Sophisticated systems and objects are complex and tough to understand. High school math is a lot more sophisticated than grammar school math. Driving a car is more sophisticated than riding a bike. People are sophisticated if they have plenty of worldly experience and what is generally regarded as "good taste." Sometimes, that just means they have a lot of money and like things that are fancy. Going to a symphony is considered more sophisticated than going to a rock concert.
Vocabulary lists containing sophisticated
The Outsiders
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The Great Gatsby
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List 2
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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 computational system, however sophisticated, can create a heart that gives itself, or a conscience that discerns good from evil,” he wrote.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 24, 2026
Rather than developing increasingly sophisticated flight abilities, some of the earliest birds appear to have taken a very different evolutionary path, including losing the ability to fly altogether.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 24, 2026
That includes more sophisticated audits of community-based organizations that have contracts with the city to aid unhoused people, he said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 23, 2026
Scientists now have far more sophisticated instruments and forecasting methods than were available in the 19th century.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 21, 2026
They had developed sophisticated philosophies of government, traditions of diplomacy, and policies of international relations.
From "An Indigenous People’s History of the United States" by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
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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.
