Standard Lemma guide
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.
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adj
Synonym of sophisticated (adjective).
Of a person: experienced in the ways of the world; cosmopolitan, worldly-wise.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adj
Synonym of sophisticated (adjective).
Of art or other things: appealing to the tastes of an intellectual or sophisticated (sense 1.1) person; cerebral; also, cultured, elegant, refined.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adj
Synonym of sophisticated (adjective).
Mixed with a foreign or inferior substance; not genuine or pure; adulterated, impure.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adj
Synonym of sophisticated (adjective).
Of a thing: having its meaning changed in a deceptive or misleading way.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
A person who is sophisticated (“experienced in the ways of the world, that is, cosmopolitan or worldly-wise”), or who has sophisticated tastes.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To make (something) less innocent or natural; to artificialize.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: denaturalize, denature
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To make (something) more sophisticated (“complex, developed, or refined”); to develop, to refine.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: complicate, enhance, hone, improve, optimize, perfect, polish
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To make (oneself or someone) more sophisticated (“experienced in the ways of the world, that is, cosmopolitan or worldly-wise”); to cosmopolitanize.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: also, reflexive, transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: broaden someone's horizons, deparochialize
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To alter and make impure (something) by mixing it with some foreign or inferior substance, especially with an intention to deceive; to adulterate; (generally) to corrupt or deceive (someone, their thinking, etc.).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: also, figuratively, transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: abase, bastardize, dash, seduce, subvert, adulter, adulterate, adulterize, alloy, balderdash, corrupt, dilute, embase, sophisticate, debauch, demoralize, detort, file, immoralize, lead astray, pervert, pollute, preposterate, suborn, tamper, unmoralize, vitiate, warp
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To change the meaning of (something) in a deceptive or misleading way.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: distort, pervert, skew, twist
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To apply an artificial technique to (something).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: archaic, transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To practise sophistry (“the (deliberate) making of arguments that seem plausible but are fallacious or misleading”).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
a worldly-wise person
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: man of the world
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: adult, grownup
Narrower terms: cosmopolitan, cosmopolite, slicker
verb
make more complex or refined
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: complicate, refine, rarify, elaborate
verb
alter and make impure, as with the intention to deceive
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Synonyms: doctor, doctor up
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: load, adulterate, stretch, dilute, debase
verb
practice sophistry; change the meaning of or be vague about in order to mislead or deceive
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Synonyms: twist, twist around, pervert, convolute
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: denote, refer
verb
make less natural or innocent
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: educate, school, train, cultivate, civilize, civilise
History
From Middle English sophisticat, sophisticate (“adulterated; not genuine, counterfeit”), an adjective use of the past participle of sophisticaten (verb) See Etymology 1 and -ate (adjective-forming suffix) for more.
From a substantivation of the above adjective or back-formation of the verb, either on the basis of -ate (noun-forming suffix).
From Middle English sophisticaten (“to mix (something) with a foreign or inferior substance, adulterate”), from Medieval Latin sophisticātus, the perfect passive participle of sophisticāre (“to disguise; to tamper with; to trick using words”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix) for more). Sophisticāre is derived from Latin sophisticus (“pertaining to the ancient Sophists, sophistic; pertaining to sophistry, sophistic, sophistical”) (from Ancient Greek σοφιστικός (sophistikós), from σοφιστής (sophistḗs, “master of a craft; prudent or wise person; philosopher; teacher, tutor; (derogatory) one who profits from false wisdom, cheat, swindler”), from σοφός (sophós, “able, skilful; clever, intelligent, prudent, wise; cunning”), further etymology unknown) + -ō (first conjugation verb-forming suffix). Cognates * French sophistiquer * Italian sofisticare * Spanish sofisticar
Across languages
16 source translations are retained for this English entry.
