refinement
Americannoun
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fineness or elegance of feeling, taste, manners, language, etc.
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the act or process of refining.
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a subtle point or distinction.
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subtle reasoning.
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an improved, higher, or extreme form of something.
a refinement of the old system.
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Mathematics. a set whose elements include the elements of a given set.
noun
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the act of refining or the state of being refined
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a fine or delicate point, distinction, or expression; a subtlety
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fineness or precision of thought, expression, manners, etc; polish or cultivation
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a device, change, adaptation, etc, designed to improve performance or increase efficiency
Other Word Forms
- nonrefinement noun
- prerefinement noun
- self-refinement noun
- superrefinement noun
Etymology
Origin of refinement
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.
The OPA1 inhibitors, created by collaborators at the University of Padua in Italy, are still lead compounds and will require further refinement before clinical testing can begin.
From Science Daily
But too little refinement and the jokes don’t fly.
From New York Times
"And we're looking for the next step, which is refinement in the modeling."
From Salon
The Shockley defectors in 1957 created Fairchild Semiconductor, which became one of the first companies to manufacture the integrated circuit, a refinement of the transistor.
From Seattle Times
The story is told in a way that suggests the Japanese perspective, with the boorishness of Western imperialists often contrasting with the sophistication and refinement of Japanese culture.
From Washington Post
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.
