sophisticated
Americanadjective
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(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
- 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 "peace or war" message, argues Zoltan Kiszelly, the Fidesz analyst, is more sophisticated than it sounds.
From BBC • Apr. 3, 2026
As stocks slipped lower over the past five weeks, sophisticated institutional investors turned decidedly bearish.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 1, 2026
"Their track record for building and operating technologically sophisticated live performance venues is unrivaled."
From BBC • Mar. 26, 2026
Back in March 1977, The Wall Street Journal published a Page One profile of a man who was “a curious mixture of the sophisticated and homespun.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 25, 2026
Ironically, the 2014 excavations that took place in a return to the site introduced the world to one of the most sophisticated pieces of underwater exploration and recovery equipment ever developed.
From "Shipwrecked!" by Martin W. Sandler
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.
