refine

verb

re·​fine ri-ˈfīn 

refined; refining

transitive verb

1

: to free (something, such as metal, sugar, or oil) from impurities or unwanted material

2

: to free from moral imperfection : elevate

3

: to improve or perfect by pruning or polishing

refine a poetic style

4

: to reduce in vigor or intensity

5

: to free from what is coarse, vulgar, or uncouth

intransitive verb

1

: to become pure or perfected

2

: to make improvement by introducing subtleties or distinctions

refiner noun

Synonyms

• ameliorate
• amend
• better
• enhance
• enrich
• help
• improve
• meliorate
• perfect
• upgrade

Examples of refine in a Sentence

The inventor of the machine spent years refining the design.

The class is meant to help you refine your writing style.

Recent Examples on the Web

Keep what matches your standards, refine your process, then increase volume. —Jodie Cook, Forbes, 30 Oct. 2024

And GitHub showed a technical preview of a feature named Spark that can compose app prototypes based on text input and refine the designs with a few clicks. —Jordan Novet, CNBC, 29 Oct. 2024

The concrete structure is expected to wear its weathering on its sleeve, so to speak, but the exterior is actually expected to clarify — refine and cure with age — within its first decade or two. —Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2024

Populist panics often bubble up from the grassroots, only to be refined by politicians. —Benjamin Wallace-Wells, The New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1582, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Kids Definition

refine

verb

re·​fine ri-ˈfīn 

refined; refining

1

: to come or bring to a pure state

refine sugar

2

: to make or become improved

3

: to free from what is vulgar

4

: to improve by introducing something that makes a small difference

refined upon the older methods

refiner noun

Medical Definition

refine

transitive verb

re·​fine ri-ˈfīn 

refined; refining

: to free (as sugar or oil) from impurities or unwanted material