Refinements are small changes or additions that you make to something in order to improve it. Refinement is the process of making refinements.
Older cars inevitably lack the latest safety refinements.
...development and refinement of the game.
2. uncountable noun
Refinement is politeness and good manners.
...a girl who possessed both dignity and refinement.
Synonyms: sophistication, finish, style, culture More Synonyms of refinement
More Synonyms of refinement
refinement in British English
(rɪˈfaɪnmənt)
noun
1.
the act of refining or the state of being refined
2.
a fine or delicate point, distinction, or expression; a subtlety
3.
fineness or precision of thought, expression, manners, etc; polish or cultivation
4.
a device, change, adaptation, etc, designed to improve performance or increase efficiency
refinement in American English
(rɪˈfaɪnmənt)
noun
1.
a.
a refining or being refined
b.
the result of this
2.
delicacy or elegance of language, speech, manners, etc.; polish; cultivation
3.
a development; improvement; elaboration
4.
a fine distinction; subtlety
Examples of 'refinement' in a sentence
refinement
The house is unpretentious in its lack of refinement.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
They are an endless process of refinement.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Essentially the project here is the further refinement of the already refined.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
But making a commercially successful craft required further refinement.
Divine, Robert A. (editor) & Breen, T. H & Frederickson, George M & Williams, R. Hal America Past and Present (1995)
It was this refinement which gave elegance to a basically simple pattern.
Page, Russell The Education of a Gardener (1994)
Its main advantages over its predecessor were in comfort and refinement.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Cabin refinement and comfort are also high.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
We admire detail and subtle refinement.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Again, there has been a process of refinement at work.
The Times Literary Supplement (2011)
It works well, maximising fuel economy and refinement while providing extra grip when it is needed.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Further refinement of the rescue plan would have to wait It was time to press the button.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
After this first step is taken, further refinement of specific goals comes more easily.
Christianity Today (2000)
Still, he is being tamed with elegance and admirable refinement.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
The driving package has also improved, as have both the refinement and fuel economy of the engines.
The Sun (2013)
A further refinement of the technique enables the entire partial series to be sounded with varying degrees of clarity.
Stewart, R J Music and the Elemental Psyche: A Practical Guide to Music and Changing Consciousness (1987)
The engine refinement has been improved for motorway driving, although it does become a bit buzzy on a long run.
The Sun (2011)
A smooth ride and refinement remain most important, but interior ambience is a big consideration too.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Ride and refinement: the twin pillars that must support any car's claim to be the best luxury vehicle in the world.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
It provides first-class comfort and refinement on long motorway journeys, and effortless overtaking power thanks to the combined torque of diesel and electrics working together.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
But in terms of refinement and comfort, they are a country mile better than the cars you could buy as recently as a week ago last Tuesday.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
In other languages
refinement
British English: refinement NOUN
Refinements are small changes or additions that you make to something in order to improve it. Refinement is the process of making refinements.
Older cars inevitably lack the latest safety refinements.
American English: refinement
Brazilian Portuguese: refinamento
Chinese: 改进
European Spanish: mejora
French: raffinement
German: Verfeinerung
Italian: raffinatezza
Japanese: 改良
Korean: 개선
European Portuguese: refinamento
Latin American Spanish: mejora
1 (noun)
Definition
a subtle point or distinction
the refinements of the game
Synonyms
subtlety
All those linguistic subtleties get lost when a book goes into translation.
nuance
Our eyes can communicate virtually every subtle nuance of emotion.
nicety
We have dealt with all the legal niceties.
fine point
2 (noun)
Definition
fineness of taste or manners
a girl who possessed both dignity and refinement
Synonyms
sophistication
finish
style
She has not lost her grace and style.
culture
He was a well-travelled man of culture and breeding.
taste
She has very good taste in clothes.
breeding
She lost her temper completely and the veneer of good breeding dropped from her.
polish
She was enormously popular for her charm and polish.
grace
He moved with the grace of a trained dancer.
discrimination
He praised our taste and discrimination.
courtesy
He always treats everyone with the utmost courtesy.
civilization
a race with an advanced state of civilization
precision
elegance
Princess Grace's understated elegance
delicacy
He played with a superb delicacy of touch.
cultivation
She was a woman of cultivation and scholarship.
finesse
politeness
She listened to him, but only out of politeness.
good manners
civility
Most people treat each other with at least some civility.
gentility
The old woman had an air of gentility about her.
good breeding
graciousness
urbanity
He had all the charm and urbanity of the trained diplomat.
fastidiousness
fineness
courtliness
politesse
3 (noun)
Definition
the act of refining
the refinement of crude oil
Synonyms
purification
processing
filtering
cleansing
clarification
distillation
Stronger beverages are produced by distillation.
rectification
rarefaction
Additional synonyms
in the sense of breeding
Definition
the result of good upbringing or training
She lost her temper completely and the veneer of good breeding dropped from her.
Synonyms
refinement,
style,
culture,
taste,
manners,
polish,
grace,
courtesy,
elegance,
sophistication,
delicacy,
cultivation,
politeness,
civility,
gentility,
graciousness,
urbanity,
politesse
in the sense of civility
Definition
polite or courteous behaviour
Most people treat each other with at least some civility.
Synonyms
politeness,
consideration,
courtesy,
tact,
good manners,
graciousness,
cordiality,
affability,
amiability,
politesse,
complaisance,
courteousness
in the sense of civilization
Definition
intellectual, cultural, and moral refinement
a race with an advanced state of civilization
Synonyms
culture,
development,
education,
progress,
enlightenment,
sophistication,
advancement,
cultivation,
refinement
Synonyms of 'refinement'
refinement
Explore 'refinement' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of courtesy
Definition
politeness
He always treats everyone with the utmost courtesy.
Synonyms
politeness,
grace,
good manners,
civility,
gallantry,
good breeding,
graciousness,
affability,
urbanity,
courtliness,
courteousness,
gallantness
in the sense of courtliness
Synonyms
ceremony,
breeding,
courtesy,
elegance,
formality,
correctness,
refinement,
propriety,
politeness,
decorum,
gallantry,
gentility,
graciousness,
affability,
urbanity,
politesse,
stateliness,
chivalrousness
in the sense of cultivation
Definition
culture or refinement
She was a woman of cultivation and scholarship.
Synonyms
refinement,
letters,
learning,
education,
culture,
taste,
breeding,
manners,
polish,
discrimination,
civilization,
enlightenment,
sophistication,
good taste,
civility,
gentility,
discernment
in the sense of culture
Definition
a developed understanding of the arts
He was a well-travelled man of culture and breeding.
Synonyms
refinement,
education,
breeding,
polish,
enlightenment,
accomplishment,
sophistication,
good taste,
erudition,
gentility,
urbanity
in the sense of delicacy
Definition
refinement of feeling, manner, or appreciation
He played with a superb delicacy of touch.
Synonyms
lightness,
accuracy,
precision,
elegance,
sensibility,
purity,
subtlety,
refinement,
finesse,
nicety,
fineness,
exquisiteness
in the sense of discrimination
Definition
subtle appreciation in matters of taste
He praised our taste and discrimination.
Synonyms
discernment,
taste,
judgment,
perception,
insight,
penetration,
subtlety,
refinement,
acumen,
keenness,
sagacity,
acuteness,
clearness
in the sense of distillation
Definition
the process of evaporating a liquid and condensing its vapour
Stronger beverages are produced by distillation.
Synonyms
distilling,
processing,
refining,
purification,
filtration
in the sense of elegance
Princess Grace's understated elegance
Synonyms
style,
taste,
beauty,
grace,
dignity,
sophistication,
grandeur,
refinement,
polish,
gentility,
sumptuousness,
courtliness,
gracefulness,
tastefulness,
exquisiteness
in the sense of gentility
Definition
respectability and good manners
The old woman had an air of gentility about her.
Synonyms
refinement,
culture,
breeding,
courtesy,
elegance,
formality,
respectability,
cultivation,
politeness,
good manners,
courtliness,
mannerliness,
decorum,
civility,
urbanity
in the sense of grace
Definition
elegance and beauty of movement, form, or expression
He moved with the grace of a trained dancer.
Synonyms
elegance,
finesse,
poise,
ease,
polish,
refinement,
fluency,
suppleness,
gracefulness
Additional synonyms
in the sense of nicety
Definition
a refinement or delicacy
We have dealt with all the legal niceties.
Synonyms
fine point,
distinction,
subtlety,
nuance,
refinement,
minutiae,
delicacy
in the sense of nuance
Definition
a subtle difference, as in colour, meaning, or tone
Our eyes can communicate virtually every subtle nuance of emotion.
Synonyms
subtlety,
degree,
distinction,
graduation,
refinement,
nicety,
gradation,
suggestion,
trace,
hint,
shade
in the sense of polish
Definition
elegance or refinement
She was enormously popular for her charm and polish.
Synonyms
style,
class (informal),
finish,
breeding,
grace,
elegance,
refinement,
finesse,
urbanity,
suavity,
politesse
in the sense of politeness
She listened to him, but only out of politeness.
Synonyms
courtesy,
decency,
correctness,
etiquette,
deference,
grace,
civility,
graciousness,
common courtesy,
complaisance,
courteousness,
respectfulness,
mannerliness,
obligingness
in the sense of style
Definition
elegance or refinement of manners and dress
She has not lost her grace and style.
Synonyms
elegance,
taste,
chic,
flair (informal),
polish,
grace,
dash,
sophistication,
refinement,
panache,
flamboyance,
élan,
éclat,
cosmopolitanism,
savoir-faire,
smartness,
urbanity,
stylishness,
bon ton,
fashionableness,
dressiness (informal)
in the sense of taste
Definition
the ability to appreciate what is beautiful and excellent
She has very good taste in clothes.
Synonyms
refinement,
style,
judgment,
culture,
polish,
grace,
discrimination,
perception,
appreciation,
elegance,
sophistication,
cultivation,
discernment
in the sense of urbanity
Definition
the quality of being urbane
He had all the charm and urbanity of the trained diplomat.