sophisticated

[suh-fis-ti-key-tid]

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

/ 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

Other Word Forms

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of sophisticated¹

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

Example Sentences

"This behavior is a testament to orcas' advanced intelligence, strategic thinking, and sophisticated social learning, as the hunting techniques are passed down through generations within their pods."

Read more on Science Daily

And there is no doubt that should it come to it, the U.S. boasts a far larger and more sophisticated military than Venezuela.

Read more on Salon

“It’s not a toy, it’s a sophisticated interlocking brick system,” says Isom.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Barque Canada Reef, Vietnam’s largest and most sophisticated artificial island in the South China Sea, illustrates major new facilities and their purpose.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The United States has a sophisticated testing system that doesn’t require setting off explosions, and when it comes to deterrence, nobody in the world assumes that America’s arsenal is full of duds.

Read more on Salon

Related Words

• complicated 
• delicate 
• intricate 
• modern 
• refined 
• subtle