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Refined Very Common

Refined has 9 different meanings across 1 category:

Adjective

Definitions
Noun
1

The refined form of a commodity, as opposed to its raw or generic form.

"After being processed and purified, the crude oil was transformed into refined gasoline suitable for engines."

In plain English: A refined person is someone who has good manners and behaves politely around others.

"The tea was served with special care to show respect for her refined tastes, though she rarely drank anything so strong in public."

Verb
1

simple past tense and past participle of refine

"The chef refined the sauce by simmering it until all impurities had risen to the surface."

In plain English: To refine something means to make it better by removing unwanted parts or improving its quality.

"The factory refined crude oil into gasoline for cars."

Adjective
1

(used of persons and their behavior) cultivated and genteel

"she was delicate and refined and unused to hardship"

"refined people with refined taste"

2

freed from impurities by processing

"refined sugar"

"refined oil"

"to gild refined gold"

3

showing a high degree of refinement and the assurance that comes from wide social experience

"his polished manner"

"maintained an urbane tone in his letters"

4

precise to a fine degree

"due to the limitations of the available tools, a more refined analysis of the data may be necessary"

5

suggesting taste, ease, and wealth

"His refined manners and elegant attire immediately signaled his high social standing."

6

Precise, freed from imprecision

"The engineer's refined calculations eliminated all uncertainty from the structural design."

7

Sagacious, sometimes (derogatory) oversubtle or feigning sagacity.

"His refined comments about current events were so convoluted and self-important that they only served to highlight his pretentiousness."

In plain English: Refined means having good manners and behaving politely around other people.

"Her refined taste led her to appreciate simple, elegant designs over flashy decorations."

Usage: Use "refined" to describe something that has been purified and improved in quality, such as sugar or a person's manners. Avoid confusing it with the noun form when you need an adjective meaning sophisticated rather than raw or crude.

Example Sentences
"Her refined taste led her to appreciate simple, elegant designs over flashy decorations." adj
"The tea was served with special care to show respect for her refined tastes, though she rarely drank anything so strong in public." noun
"The factory refined crude oil into gasoline for cars." verb
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