sophisticate
Meanings
- To make (something) less innocent or natural; to artificialize.
- To make (something) more sophisticated (“complex, developed, or refined”); to develop, to refine.
- To make (oneself or someone) more sophisticated (“experienced in the ways of the world, that is, cosmopolitan or worldly-wise”); to cosmopolitanize.
- To alter and make impure (something) by mixing it with some foreign or inferior substance, especially with an intention to deceive; to adulterate; (generally) to corrupt or deceive (someone, their thinking, etc.).
- To change the meaning of (something) in a deceptive or misleading way.
- To apply an artificial technique to (something).
- To practise sophistry (“the (deliberate) making of arguments that seem plausible but are fallacious or misleading”).
- Synonym of sophisticated (adjective).
- Of a person: experienced in the ways of the world; cosmopolitan, worldly-wise.
- Of art or other things: appealing to the tastes of an intellectual or sophisticated (sense 1.1) person; cerebral; also, cultured, elegant, refined.
- Mixed with a foreign or inferior substance; not genuine or pure; adulterated, impure.
- Of a thing: having its meaning changed in a deceptive or misleading way.
- A person who is sophisticated (“experienced in the ways of the world, that is, cosmopolitan or worldly-wise”), or who has sophisticated tastes.
Pronunciation
Word forms
Etymology
From Middle English sophisticaten (“to mix (something) with a foreign or inferior substance, adulterate”), from Medieval Latin sophisticātus, the perfect passive participle of sophisticāre (“to disguise; to tamper with; to trick using words”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix) for more). Sophisticāre is derived from Latin sophisticus (“pertaining to the ancient Sophists, sophistic; pertaining to sophistry, sophistic, sophistical”) (from Ancient Greek σοφιστικός (sophistikós), from σοφιστής (sophistḗs, “master of a craft; prudent or wise person; philosopher; teacher, tutor; (derogatory) one who profits from false wisdom, cheat, swindler”), from σοφός (sophós, “able, skilful; clever, intelligent, prudent, wise; cunning”), further etymology unknown) + -ō (first conjugation verb-forming suffix). Cognates * French sophistiquer * Italian sofisticare * Spanish sofisticar