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Synonyms

sophisticated

American  
[suh-fis-ti-key-tid] / səˈfɪs tɪˌkeɪ tɪd /

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 British  
/ 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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • hypersophisticated adjective
  • hypersophisticatedly adverb
  • oversophisticated adjective
  • sophisticatedly adverb
  • supersophisticated adjective
  • ultrasophisticated adjective
  • ultrasophisticatedly adverb

Etymology

Origin of sophisticated

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

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.

This sophisticated form of Raman spectroscopy uses a laser to detect the unique chemical fingerprints of molecules within tissue.

From Science Daily

"He was unable to avoid our intelligence and highly sophisticated tracking systems."

From BBC

Her yellow, floor-length gown was in keeping with her classic sophisticated and elegant red carpet style.

From BBC

The more sophisticated look signals she is a figure to be respected despite her age.

From The Wall Street Journal

The sets are not sophisticated, the actors are mostly novices, and the AI-driven scenes can feel uncanny under scrutiny.

From BBC