Meaning & use

sophisticated

adjective·Academic

Having refined knowledge, taste, or experience, especially in culture, fashion, or worldly matters.

See it in a sentence

The restaurant attracted a sophisticated crowd who appreciated its subtle, unusual flavors.

Her sophisticated understanding of the market impressed even the senior investors.

A note on using this word

Sophisticated can describe people, tastes, or systems; applied to machines or methods it means advanced or complex rather than cultured.

Words with a similar meaning

refinedculturedworldly

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

naiveunsophisticated

Another way to use it

2. adjective

Highly developed and complex in design, function, or method.

The lab uses sophisticated equipment to detect trace amounts of pollutants.

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