Related Searches
on Ask.com
refinement
4 dictionary results for: refinement
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This
re·fine·ment 
[ri-fahyn-muhnt] Pronunciation Key
[ri-fahyn-muhnt] Pronunciation Key –noun
| 1. | fineness or elegance of feeling, taste, manners, language, etc. |
| 2. | an instance of refined feeling, manners, etc. |
| 3. | the act or process of refining. |
| 4. | the quality or state of being refined. |
| 5. | a subtle point or distinction. |
| 6. | subtle reasoning. |
| 7. | an improved, higher, or extreme form of something: a refinement of the old system. |
| 8. | Mathematics. a set whose elements include the elements of a given set. |
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
| re·fine·ment
(rĭ-fīn'mənt) Pronunciation Key
n.
|
(Download Now or Buy the Book)
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This
| refinement | |
noun | |
| 1. | a highly developed state of perfection; having a flawless or impeccable quality; "they performed with great polish"; "I admired the exquisite refinement of his prose"; "almost an inspiration which gives to all work that finish which is almost art"--Joseph Conrad [syn: polish] |
| 2. | the result of improving something; "he described a refinement of this technique" |
| 3. | the process of removing impurities (as from oil or metals or sugar etc.) [syn: refining] |
| 4. | a subtle difference in meaning or opinion or attitude; "without understanding the finer nuances you can't enjoy the humor"; "don't argue about shades of meaning" [syn: nuance] |
| 5. | the quality of excellence in thought and manners and taste; "a man of intellectual refinement"; "he is remembered for his generosity and civilization" |
WordNet® 3.0, © 2006 by Princeton University.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
Refinement
Re*fine"ment\ (r?*f?n"ment), n. [Cf. F. raffinement.]1. The act of refining, or the state of being refined; as, the refinement or metals; refinement of ideas. The more bodies are of kin to spirit in subtilty and refinement, the more diffusive are they. --Norris. From the civil war to this time, I doubt whether the corruptions in our language have not equaled its refinements. --Swift. 2. That which is refined, elaborated, or polished to excess; an affected subtilty; as, refinements of logic. "The refinements of irregular cunning." --Rogers. Syn: Purification; polish; politeness; gentility; elegance; cultivation; civilization.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
Share This:
Copyright © 2008, Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved.