refinement

noun

re·​fine·​ment ri-ˈfīn-mənt 

1

: the action or process of refining

2

: the quality or state of being refined : cultivation

3

a

: a refined feature or method

b

: a highly refined distinction : subtlety

c

: a contrivance or device intended to improve or perfect

Synonyms

• advance
• advancement
• breakthrough
• enhancement
• improvement

Examples of refinement in a Sentence

the recent refinements in this area of medical technology

had a sense of refinement that her small hometown couldn't satisfy, so she moved to New York City to be closer to great museums and concert halls

Recent Examples on the Web

But Musk’s refinements to the model led to a kind of power that even Jobs didn’t have at Apple: an empire of companies, the biggest pay package of all time, and political influence. —Elizabeth Lopatto, The Verge, 14 June 2024

His con is of a much higher caliber, featuring a certain kind of flashy refinement. —David John Chávez, The Mercury News, 14 June 2024

Hopefully, this lends it an air of authenticity, and, if not refinement as a whole, at least refinement compared to the Ryan Murphy–verse. —Vulture Staff, Vulture, 24 May 2024

Science started a seemingly unstoppable climb up the mountain of 20th-century achievement: viral identification, vaccine refinement, the development of antibiotics, the introduction of immunotherapies, the parsing of the human genome. —Maryn McKenna, Scientific American, 1 Sep. 2020

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1611, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

refinement

noun

re·​fine·​ment ri-ˈfīn-mənt 

1

: the action or process of refining

2

: the state of being refined : cultivation

3

a

: something that has been refined

refinements in dress and behavior

b

: something intended to improve or refine