Definition of "sophisticate"

(transitive)

1. To make (something) less innocent or natural; to artificialize.  quotations  examples

   Quotations

   • The party to vvhich Mrs. Berlinton vvas the loadſtone, vvas far more attractive to the diſciples of nature, though leſs ſedulouſly ſought by thoſe vvhom the manners and maxims of the common vvorld had ſophiſticated.

     1796, [Frances Burney], “The Rooms”, in Camilla: Or, A Picture of Youth. […], volume III, London: […] T[homas] Payne, […]; and T[homas] Cadell Jun. and W[illiam] Davies (successors to Mr. [Thomas] Cadell) […], book VI, pages 269–270

   • [T]hey were not the spoiled children of affectation and refinement, but a bold, vigorous, independent race of thinkers, with prodigious strength and energy, with none but natural grace, and heartfelt unobtrusive delicacy. They were not at all sophisticated.

     1820, William Hazlitt, “Lecture I. Introductory.”, in Lectures Chiefly on the Dramatic Literature of the Age of Elizabeth. […], London: Stodart and Steuart, […]; Edinburgh: Bell and Bradfute, page 2

   • She was no scion of the English houses of Brown, Jones, or Robinson, born and bred in a London back slum, and christened plain Sarah or Mary, to be sophisticated later into Celestine or Mariette.

     , [Mary Elizabeth Braddon], “La Chicot”, in The Cloven Foot […], volume I, London: John and Robert Maxwell […], page 71

   • Psychologists have developed quasi-causal theories to explain the directedness of behaviour, to answer the question ‘Why are certain sorts of reasons operative?’ and these theories may well have insinuated themselves into ordinary language as part of the meaning of “motive”. It might well be, therefore, that people who are slightly sophisticated by psychological theories assume some such necessary connexion [between giving the motive for an action and making any assertions of a causal kind about a man’s emotional state].

     1960, R[ichard] S[tanley] Peters, “Motives and Motivation”, in R. F. Holland, editor, The Concept of Motivation (Studies in Philosophical Psychology), 2nd edition, London: Routledge & Kegan Paul; New York, N.Y.: Humanities Press, published 1965, page 38

2. To make (something) more sophisticated (“complex, developed, or refined”); to develop, to refine.  examples

3. (also reflexive) To make (oneself or someone) more sophisticated (“experienced in the ways of the world, that is, cosmopolitan or worldly-wise”); to cosmopolitanize.  examples

4. (also figuratively) 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.).  quotations  examples

   Quotations

   • How be it, it were harde to construe this lecture; / Sophisticatid craftely is many a confecture; […]

     1523, John Skelton, “A Ryght Delectable Tratyse vpon a Goodly Garlande or Chapelet of Laurell, […]”, in Alexander Dyce, editor, The Poetical Works of John Skelton: […], volume I, London: Thomas Rodd, […], published 1843, page 366, lines 109–110

   • For there are diuers motiues, dravving men to fauour mightily thoſe opinions vvherein their perſvvaſions are but vveakely ſetled: and if the paſſions of the minde be ſtrong, they eaſily ſophiſticate the vnderſtanding, they make it apt to beeleeue vpon very ſclender vvarrant and to imagine infallible truth vvhere ſcarce any probable ſhevv appeareth.

     1594, Richard Hooker, “To the Most Reverend Father in God My Very Good Lord, the Lord Archbishop of Canterburie His Grace [John Whitgift], Primate and Metropolitane of All England”, in J[ohn] S[penser], editor, Of the Lawes of Ecclesiastical Politie, […], 3rd edition, London: […] Will[iam] Stansby [for Matthew Lownes], published 1611, book IV, page

   • This is my friend, Abel, an honeſt fellovv, / He let me haue good Tobacco, and he do's not / Sophiſticate it, vvith Sack-lees, or Oyle, […]

     1610 (first performance), Ben[jamin] Jonson, The Alchemist, London: […] Thomas Snodham, for Walter Burre, and are to be sold by Iohn Stepneth, […], published 1612; reprinted Menston, Yorkshire: The Scolar Press, 1970, Act I, scene iii

   • It is the manner of the world, and so it is of the "prince of the world," to sophisticate ever the best things with hypocrisy, with superstition, with a thousand devices more.

     1621 February 24 (Gregorian calendar), Lancelot Andrewes, “A Sermon Preached before King James, at Whitehall, on the Fourteenth of February, A.D. MDCXXI. Being Ash-Wednesday”, in J[ohn] P[osthumous] W[ilson], editor, Ninety-six Sermons […], volume I, Oxford, Oxfordshire: John Henry Parker, published 1841, page 376

   • to mingle or sophisticate any Wine here

     1639, James Howell, “To my Lord Clifford, from Edenburgh”, in Epistolæ Ho-Elianæ. Familiar Letters Domestic and Forren. […], 3rd edition, volume (please specify the page), London: […] Humphrey Mos[e]ley, […], published 1655

   • Yet the rich Cullies may their boaſting ſpare; / They purchaſe but ſophiſticated VVare.

     1678, [John] Dryden, “Epilogue”, in Nat[haniel] Lee, Mithridates King of Pontus, a Tragedy: […], London: […] R[obert] E[veringham] for James Magnes and Rich[ard] Bentley, […]

   • VVhy have you not been Naught? Have you not been Sophiſticated?

     1700, [William] Congreve, The Way of the World, a Comedy. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], Act IV, scene i, page 58

   • His professional library is neither filled with extravagant and impious fictions, […] nor of books of casuistry, which sophisticate the understanding and defile the heart; […]

     1829, Robert Southey, “Colloquy XI. Infidelity.—Church Establishment.”, in Sir Thomas More: or, Colloquies on the Progress and Prospects of Society. […], volume II, London: John Murray, […], pages 117–118

   • Plato sophisticates somewhat the genuine Socrates; but it is very doubtful whether the culture and mental energy of Plato did not give him a more adequate vision of the true Socrates than Xenophon had.

     1873, Matthew Arnold, “The New Testament Record”, in Literature & Dogma: An Essay towards a Better Apprehension of the Bible, London: Smith, Elder, & Co. […], section 4, page 172

5. To change the meaning of (something) in a deceptive or misleading way.  quotations  examples

   Quotations

   • The heavy hand of the high Thunderer / Shall light on thee; and thou I doubt ſhalt be / His Furies object, and ſhalt teſtifie / By thine infamous lifes accurſed ſtate, / VVhat novv thy ſhame-leſs lips ſophiſticate.

     1608, [Guillaume de Salluste Du Bartas], “[Du Bartas His Second VVeeke, […].Noah. […].] The Arke. The I. Part of the II. Day of the II. Week.”, in Josuah Sylvester, transl., Du Bartas His Deuine Weekes and Workes […], 3rd edition, London: […] Humfrey Lownes [and are to be sold by Arthur Iohnson […]], published 1611, page 302

   • His character and doctrines have received still greater injury from those who pretend to be his special disciples, and who have disfigured and sophisticated his actions and precepts from views of personal interest, so as to induce the unthinking part of mankind to throw off the whole system in disgust, and to pass sentence, as an impostor on the most innocent, the most benevolent, the most eloquent and sublime character that has ever been exhibited to man.

     1803 April 9, Thomas Jefferson, “John Adams to Thomas Jefferson. Quincy, July 16, 1813 [quoting Jefferson’s letter to Dr. Joseph Priestley]”, in The Writings of Thomas Jefferson; […], volume VI, New York, N.Y.: Riker, Thorne & Co.; Washington, D.C.: Taylor & Maury, published 1854, page 169

6. (archaic) To apply an artificial technique to (something).  quotations

   Quotations

   • [T]hey ſit in ſome ſun-ſhining place in a chamber or ſome other ſecret roome, vvhere hauing a looking-glaſſe before them they ſophiſticate and dye their haire vvith the foreſaid drugs, […]

     1611, Thomas Coryate [i.e., Thomas Coryat], “My Obseruations of the Most Glorious, Peerelesse, and Mayden Citie of Venice: […]”, in Coryats Crudities Hastily Gobled Vp in Five Moneths Trauells […], London: […] W[illiam] S[tansby for the author], page , lines 1–5

(intransitive) To practise sophistry (“the (deliberate) making of arguments that seem plausible but are fallacious or misleading”).  quotations  examples

A person who is sophisticated (“experienced in the ways of the world, that is, cosmopolitan or worldly-wise”), or who has sophisticated tastes.  quotations  examples

Synonym of sophisticated (adjective)

1. Of a person: experienced in the ways of the world; cosmopolitan, worldly-wise.  examples

2. Of art or other things: appealing to the tastes of an intellectual or sophisticated (sense 1.1) person; cerebral; also, cultured, elegant, refined.  examples

3. (obsolete) Mixed with a foreign or inferior substance; not genuine or pure; adulterated, impure.  quotations

   Quotations

   • So truth, while only one ſupply'd the ſtate, / Grew ſcarce, and dear, and yet ſophiſticate.

     c. 1663, John Dryden, “Epistle the Second. To My Honored Friend Dr. [Walter] Charleton, on His Learned and Useful Works; but More Particularly His Treatise of Stone-henge, by Him Restor’d to the True Founder.”, in The Miscellaneous Works of John Dryden, […], volume II, London: […] J[acob] and R[ichard] Tonson, […], published 1760, page 154

4. (obsolete) Of a thing: having its meaning changed in a deceptive or misleading way.