sophisticated

[ suh-fis-ti-key-tid ]

adjective

1. (of a person, ideas, tastes, manners, etc.) altered by education, experience, etc., so as to be worldly-wise; not naive:

   a sophisticated young socialite;

   the sophisticated eye of an experienced journalist.

   Synonyms: cultivated, experienced, cosmopolitan, worldly

   Antonyms: naive

2. pleasing or satisfactory to the tastes of sophisticates, or people who are educated, cultured, and worldly-wise:

   sophisticated music.

3. deceptive; misleading.
4. complex or intricate, as a system, process, piece of machinery, or the like:

   a sophisticated electronic control system.

5. of, for, or reflecting educated taste, knowledgeable use, etc.:

   Many Americans are drinking more sophisticated wines now.

sophisticated

/ səˈfɪstɪˌkeɪtɪd /

adjective

1. having refined or cultured tastes and habits
2. appealing to sophisticates

   a sophisticated restaurant

3. unduly refined or cultured
4. pretentiously or superficially wise
5. (of machines, methods, etc) complex and refined

Derived Forms

• soˈphistiˌcatedly, adverb

Other Words From

• so·phisti·cated·ly adverb
• hyper·so·phisti·cated adjective
• hyper·so·phisti·cated·ly adverb
• over·so·phisti·cated adjective
• super·so·phisti·cated adjective
• ultra·so·phisti·cated adjective
• ultra·so·phisti·cated·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of sophisticated¹

First recorded in 1595–1605; sophisticate + -ed ²

Example Sentences

“He’s completing phrases on the next chord change instead of singing a single sentence within chord changes. It’s very sophisticated writing,” Yoakam said of Byrd Gene Clark as we listened to the song together, like two undergraduates in a dorm room bonding over our favorite albums.

From Los Angeles Times

Small and compact, always fit, Haynes balanced his sophisticated drumming with an equally stylish wardrobe.

From Los Angeles Times

The Broadway world also enjoyed Jamison’s talents as she starred in the Duke Ellington revue “Sophisticated Ladies” in 1981.

From Los Angeles Times

Judges had once declared it Britain's best new building, saying it was "a dynamic, modern and sophisticated exercise in steel, glass and concrete".

From BBC

Actually, the audiences that turned out were pretty sophisticated.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• complicated
• delicate
• intricate
• modern
• refined
• subtle