sophisticate
Americannoun
adjective
verb (used with object)
-
to make less natural, simple, or ingenuous; make worldly-wise.
-
to alter; pervert.
to sophisticate a meaning beyond recognition.
verb (used without object)
verb
-
(tr) to make (someone) less natural or innocent, as by education
-
to pervert or corrupt (an argument, etc) by sophistry
-
(tr) to make more complex or refined
-
rare to falsify (a text, etc) by alterations
noun
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012Other Word Forms
- outsophisticate verb (used with object)
- sophistication noun
- sophisticator noun
Etymology
Origin of sophisticate
1350–1400; Middle English (adj. and v.) < Medieval Latin sophisticātus (past participle of sophisticāre to tamper with, disguise, trick with words), equivalent to Latin sophistic ( us ) ( sophistic ) + -ātus -ate 1
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.
This later phase included shell middens, dense ceramic refuse, and a sophisticated system of canals and raised fields connected to maize-based farming.
From Science Daily
Criminals can infiltrate bank accounts or steal personal identities, and AI is helping these attacks become more sophisticated.
From Science Daily
Japanese beer giant Asahi said Thursday it was not negotiating with the hackers behind a "sophisticated and cunning" ransomware attack that is about to enter its third month.
From Barron's
Thoughtful restraint seems like a better strategy than rushing into put and call options and stocks when many sophisticated investors have little idea how to price the passing scene.
From Barron's
Thoughtful restraint seems like a better strategy than rushing into put and call options and stocks when many sophisticated investors have little idea how to price the passing scene.
From Barron's
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.
