sophistication

[ suh-fis-ti-key-shuh n ]

/ səˌfɪs tɪˈkeɪ ʃən /

sophisticated character, ideas, tastes, or ways as the result of education, worldly experience, etc.: the sophistication of the wealthy.

change from the natural character or simplicity, or the resulting condition.

complexity, as in design or organization.

impairment or debasement, as of purity or genuineness.

the use of sophistry; a sophism, quibble, or fallacious argument.

Nearby words

1350–1400; Middle English < Medieval Latin sophisticātiōn- (stem of sophisticātiō), equivalent to sophisticāt(us) (see sophisticate) + -iōn- -ion

Related formsan·ti·so·phis·ti·ca·tion, nounhy·per·so·phis·ti·ca·tion, nouno·ver·so·phis·ti·ca·tion, nounself-so·phis·ti·ca·tion, noun

His dresses were worn by Hollywood stars and first ladies, emanating glamour and sophistication.
Fashion Designer Oscar de la Renta, American Great, Dead at 82|Tim Teeman|October 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
This Palmer stands for elegance and sophistication: the embodiment of natural gifts, both athletic and personal.
Will the Real Jim Palmer Please Stand Up|Tom Boswell|September 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Jazz is now a codeword for sophistication and classiness, even affluence.
Jazz (The Music of Coffee and Donuts) Has Respect, But It Needs Love|Ted Gioia|June 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And if Tocqueville is right, then Piketty is mistaken, despite the impressive scope and sophistication of his work.
What’s At Stake In The Tocqueville/Piketty Debate|James Poulos|April 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST

The age of the airplane does not, however, determine the sophistication of the search equipment on board.
Was MH370 Carrying Killer Cargo?|Clive Irving|March 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Had this sophistication come as an afterthought, born of something that had passed between them?
The Vagrant Duke|George Gibbs
Then he recollected his sophistication to say: “Unless its being of that particular shade between brown and red was wrong.”
Between The Dark And The Daylight|William Dean Howells
That this was "cuisine of striking richness, refinement, sophistication, and artistry" should not necessarily impress us here.
The Civilization of Illiteracy|Mihai Nadin
When he talks to you, you play up the keen, alert stuff with a dash of sophistication, see?
Personality Plus|Edna Ferber
And behind all, there gleams from the whole play a sophistication as deep as the gean.
Atlantic Classics, Second Series|Henry C. Merwin