refined; refining
1
: to free (something, such as metal, sugar, or oil) from impurities or unwanted material
2
: to free from moral imperfection : elevate
3
: to improve or perfect by pruning or polishing
refine a poetic style
4
: to reduce in vigor or intensity
5
: to free from what is coarse, vulgar, or uncouth
1
: to become pure or perfected
2
: to make improvement by introducing subtleties or distinctions
refiner
noun
Examples of refine in a Sentence
The inventor of the machine spent years refining the design.
The class is meant to help you refine your writing style.
Recent Examples on the Web
The sublime—a concept introduced by the first-century philosopher Longinus and later refined by Edmund Burke and Immanuel Kant—rests on an encounter with something too immense or too powerful for the human mind to comprehend fully.
—
Sebastian Smee, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
Camel, oatmeal, and chocolate are particularly refined and a nice fit for a space like this LA home filled with cool neutrals.
—Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 4 May 2026
That’s why so much Toyota tech is being tested here, including efforts to refine systems like the AI Vision Engine before selling them to municipalities.
—Tim Stevens, ArsTechnica, 4 May 2026
This strapless pale pink Armani Privé gown shows just how much Queen Bey has refined her style over the years.
—Sophie Dodd, PEOPLE, 4 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for refine
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Sebastian Smee, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
Camel, oatmeal, and chocolate are particularly refined and a nice fit for a space like this LA home filled with cool neutrals.
—Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 4 May 2026
That’s why so much Toyota tech is being tested here, including efforts to refine systems like the AI Vision Engine before selling them to municipalities.
—Tim Stevens, ArsTechnica, 4 May 2026
This strapless pale pink Armani Privé gown shows just how much Queen Bey has refined her style over the years.
—Sophie Dodd, PEOPLE, 4 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for refine
Cite this Entry
“Refine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/refine. Accessed 5 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
refine
verb
re·fine
ri-ˈfīn 
refined; refining
1
: to come or bring to a pure state
refine sugar
2
: to make or become improved
3
: to free from what is vulgar
4
: to improve by introducing something that makes a small difference
refined upon the older methods
refiner
noun
Medical Definition
refine
transitive verb
re·fine
ri-ˈfīn
refined; refining
: to free (as sugar or oil) from impurities or unwanted material
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