refine
to bring to a fine or a pure state; free from impurities: to refine metal, sugar, or petroleum.
to purify from what is coarse, vulgar, or debasing; make elegant or cultured.
to bring to a finer state or form by purifying.
to make more fine, subtle, or precise: to refine one's writing style.
to become pure: The silver is refining in the furnace.
to become more fine, elegant, or polished: His parents hope that his manners will refine as he gets older.
to make fine distinctions in thought or language.
refine on / upon to improve by inserting finer distinctions, superior elements, etc.: to refine on one's previous work.
Origin of refine
1Other words from refine
- re·fin·a·ble, adjective
- re·fin·er, noun
- pre·re·fine, verb (used with object), pre·re·fined, pre·re·fin·ing.
- self-re·fin·ing, adjective
- su·per·re·fine, verb (used with object), su·per·re·fined, su·per·re·fin·ing.
- un·re·fin·ing, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
British Dictionary definitions for refine
/ (rɪˈfaɪn) /
to make or become free from impurities, sediment, or other foreign matter; purify
(tr) to separate (a mixture) into pure constituents, as in an oil refinery
to make or become free from coarse characteristics; make or become elegant or polished
(tr often foll by out) to remove (something impure or extraneous)
(intr ; often foll by on or upon) to enlarge or improve (upon) by making subtle or fine distinctions
(tr) to make (language) more subtle or polished
Origin of refine
1Derived forms of refine
- refinable, adjective
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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