sophisticate Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a worldly-wise person
    man of the world.
  2. verb make less natural or innocent
    • Their manners had sophisticated the young girls
  3. verb practice sophistry; change the meaning of or be vague about in order to mislead or deceive
    twist; convolute; pervert; twist around.
    • Don't twist my words
  4. verb alter and make impure, as with the intention to deceive
    doctor up; doctor.
    • Sophisticate rose water with geraniol
  5. verb make more complex or refined
    • a sophisticated design

WordNet

So*phis"ti*cate transitive verb
Etymology
LL. sophisticatus, p.p. of sophisticare to sophisticate.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Sophisticated ; present participle & verbal noun Sophisticating
Definitions
  1. To render worthless by admixture; to adulterate; to damage; to pervert; as, to sophisticate wine. Howell.
    To sophisticate the understanding. Southey.
    Yet Butler professes to stick to plain facts, not to sophisticate, not to refine. M. Arnold.
    They purchase but sophisticated ware. Dryden.
    Syn. -- To adulterate; debase; corrupt; vitiate.
So*phis"ti*cate, So*phis"ti*ca`ted adjective (Also<
  • Sophisticate
  • Sophisticated
)
Definitions
  1. Adulterated; not pure; not genuine.
    So truth, while only one supplied the state, Grew scare and dear, and yet sophisticate. Dryden.

Webster 1913