verb · 11 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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/ɹɪˈfaɪn/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -aɪn
CMU ARPABET:R AH0 F AY1 N
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
CMU ARPABET 2:R IH0 F AY1 N
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
verb
Meaning 1
To purify; reduce to a fine, unmixed, or pure state; to free from impurities.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
Examples
to refine gold
to refine iron
to refine wine
to refine sugar
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
verb
Meaning 2
To become pure; to be cleared of impure matter.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
verb
Meaning 3
To purify of coarseness, vulgarity, inelegance, etc.; to polish.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
Examples
to refine someone's manners
to refine a language
a refined style
to refine one's tastes
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
verb
Meaning 4
To improve in accuracy, delicacy, or excellence.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: ambitransitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
verb
Meaning 5
To make nice or subtle.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
Examples
to refine thought
to refine someone's language
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
verb
Meaning 6
make more complex, intricate, or richer
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
refine a design or pattern
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: complicate, rarify, elaborate
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: change, alter, modify
Narrower terms: involve, develop, sophisticate
7
verb
Meaning 7
make more precise or increase the discriminatory powers of
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
refine a method of analysis
refine the constant in the equation
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: change, alter, modify
8
verb
Meaning 8
attenuate or reduce in vigor, strength, or validity by polishing or purifying
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
many valuable nutrients are refined out of the foods in our modern diet
reduce to a fine, unmixed, or pure state; separate from extraneous matter or cleanse from impurities
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
refine sugar
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: rectify
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: purify, sublimate, make pure, distill
11
verb
Meaning 11
treat or prepare so as to put in a usable condition
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
refine paper stock
refine pig iron
refine oil
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: process, treat
History
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Italic *wre- Latin re-der. Old French re-bor. Middle English re- English re- English fine English refine From re- + fine.
Across languages
Translations
68 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bulgarian:
пречиствам
(prečistvam)
— to reduce to a fine, unmixed, or pure state; to free from impurities; to free from dross or alloy
Catalan:
refinar
— to reduce to a fine, unmixed, or pure state; to free from impurities; to free from dross or alloy
Czech:
čistit
— to reduce to a fine, unmixed, or pure state; to free from impurities; to free from dross or alloy
Czech:
vyčistit
— to reduce to a fine, unmixed, or pure state; to free from impurities; to free from dross or alloy
Czech:
pročistit
— to reduce to a fine, unmixed, or pure state; to free from impurities; to free from dross or alloy
Czech:
rafinovat
— to reduce to a fine, unmixed, or pure state; to free from impurities; to free from dross or alloy
Danish:
raffinere
— to reduce to a fine, unmixed, or pure state; to free from impurities; to free from dross or alloy
Danish:
rense
— to reduce to a fine, unmixed, or pure state; to free from impurities; to free from dross or alloy
Esperanto:
rafini
— to reduce to a fine, unmixed, or pure state; to free from impurities; to free from dross or alloy
Finnish:
jalostaa
— to reduce to a fine, unmixed, or pure state; to free from impurities; to free from dross or alloy
Finnish:
puhdistaa
— to reduce to a fine, unmixed, or pure state; to free from impurities; to free from dross or alloy
French:
raffiner
— to reduce to a fine, unmixed, or pure state; to free from impurities; to free from dross or alloy
Galician:
refinar
— to reduce to a fine, unmixed, or pure state; to free from impurities; to free from dross or alloy
Greek:
ραφινάρω
(rafináro)
— to reduce to a fine, unmixed, or pure state; to free from impurities; to free from dross or alloy
Italian:
raffinare
— to reduce to a fine, unmixed, or pure state; to free from impurities; to free from dross or alloy
Italian:
decontaminare
— to reduce to a fine, unmixed, or pure state; to free from impurities; to free from dross or alloy
Italian:
decantare
— to reduce to a fine, unmixed, or pure state; to free from impurities; to free from dross or alloy
Māori:
whakaparakore
— to reduce to a fine, unmixed, or pure state; to free from impurities; to free from dross or alloy
Portuguese:
refinar
— to reduce to a fine, unmixed, or pure state; to free from impurities; to free from dross or alloy
Russian:
очищать
(očiščatʹ)
— to reduce to a fine, unmixed, or pure state; to free from impurities; to free from dross or alloy
Spanish:
refinar
— to reduce to a fine, unmixed, or pure state; to free from impurities; to free from dross or alloy
Swedish:
raffinera
— to reduce to a fine, unmixed, or pure state; to free from impurities; to free from dross or alloy
Yiddish:
אויסאיידלען
(oyseydlen)
— to reduce to a fine, unmixed, or pure state; to free from impurities; to free from dross or alloy
Azerbaijani:
saflaşdırmaq
— to purify from what is gross, coarse, vulgar, inelegant, low, and the like; to make elegant or excellent; to polish
Bulgarian:
облагородявам
(oblagorodjavam)
— to purify from what is gross, coarse, vulgar, inelegant, low, and the like; to make elegant or excellent; to polish
Catalan:
refinar
— to purify from what is gross, coarse, vulgar, inelegant, low, and the like; to make elegant or excellent; to polish
Czech:
kultivovat
— to purify from what is gross, coarse, vulgar, inelegant, low, and the like; to make elegant or excellent; to polish
Danish:
forbedre
— to purify from what is gross, coarse, vulgar, inelegant, low, and the like; to make elegant or excellent; to polish
Danish:
forfine
— to purify from what is gross, coarse, vulgar, inelegant, low, and the like; to make elegant or excellent; to polish
Finnish:
kehittää
— to purify from what is gross, coarse, vulgar, inelegant, low, and the like; to make elegant or excellent; to polish
Finnish:
jalostaa
— to purify from what is gross, coarse, vulgar, inelegant, low, and the like; to make elegant or excellent; to polish
Italian:
purificare
— to purify from what is gross, coarse, vulgar, inelegant, low, and the like; to make elegant or excellent; to polish
Italian:
raffinare
— to purify from what is gross, coarse, vulgar, inelegant, low, and the like; to make elegant or excellent; to polish
Italian:
ripulire
— to purify from what is gross, coarse, vulgar, inelegant, low, and the like; to make elegant or excellent; to polish
Italian:
sgrossare
— to purify from what is gross, coarse, vulgar, inelegant, low, and the like; to make elegant or excellent; to polish
Italian:
lucidare
— to purify from what is gross, coarse, vulgar, inelegant, low, and the like; to make elegant or excellent; to polish
Māori:
whakamahine
— to purify from what is gross, coarse, vulgar, inelegant, low, and the like; to make elegant or excellent; to polish
Portuguese:
refinar
— to purify from what is gross, coarse, vulgar, inelegant, low, and the like; to make elegant or excellent; to polish
Russian:
облагораживать
(oblagoraživatʹ)
— to purify from what is gross, coarse, vulgar, inelegant, low, and the like; to make elegant or excellent; to polish
Spanish:
perfeccionar
— to purify from what is gross, coarse, vulgar, inelegant, low, and the like; to make elegant or excellent; to polish
Swedish:
raffinera
— to purify from what is gross, coarse, vulgar, inelegant, low, and the like; to make elegant or excellent; to polish
Swedish:
förfina
— to purify from what is gross, coarse, vulgar, inelegant, low, and the like; to make elegant or excellent; to polish
Bulgarian:
очиствам се
(očistvam se)
— to become pure
Catalan:
refinar
— to become pure
Finnish:
jalostua
— to become pure
Italian:
decantare
— to become pure
Italian:
purificare
— to become pure
Portuguese:
purificar
— to become pure
Catalan:
refinar
— to improve in accuracy, delicacy, or excellence
Czech:
vylepšovat
— to improve in accuracy, delicacy, or excellence
Finnish:
kehittää
— to improve in accuracy, delicacy, or excellence
Finnish:
jalostaa
— to improve in accuracy, delicacy, or excellence
German:
verfeinern
— to improve in accuracy, delicacy, or excellence
Hebrew:
השתבח
(Hishtabe'ach)
— to improve in accuracy, delicacy, or excellence
Italian:
migliorare
— to improve in accuracy, delicacy, or excellence
Italian:
rifinire
— to improve in accuracy, delicacy, or excellence
Russian:
соверше́нствоваться
(soveršénstvovatʹsja)
— to improve in accuracy, delicacy, or excellence
Catalan:
refinar
— to affect nicety or subtlety in thought or language
Finnish:
jalostaa
— to affect nicety or subtlety in thought or language
Finnish:
hioa
— to affect nicety or subtlety in thought or language
Italian:
raffinare
— to affect nicety or subtlety in thought or language
Italian:
migliorare
— to affect nicety or subtlety in thought or language
Italian:
impreziosire
— to affect nicety or subtlety in thought or language
Italian:
purificare
— to affect nicety or subtlety in thought or language
Russian:
детализировать
(detalizirovatʹ)
— to affect nicety or subtlety in thought or language
Russian:
уточнять
(utočnjatʹ)
— to affect nicety or subtlety in thought or language
Swedish:
raffinera
— to affect nicety or subtlety in thought or language
Swedish:
förfina
— to affect nicety or subtlety in thought or language
