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
Synonyms
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 negotiators will be refining regulations and guidelines reached in a draft of the agreement in 2022, with the goal of completing the work by the end of this year.
—
Jeffrey Kluger, TIME, 25 Apr. 2024
The work that followed was really about refining the storytelling and getting more clear on the narrative and the arcs of the characters that run through this world.
—Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 24 Apr. 2024
Robinson refines that blend of grace and power during daily, eight-hour studio rehearsals, plus two or three nights a week of additional workouts.
—Virginia Brown, Charlotte Observer, 24 Apr. 2024
Stevens has previously shown a knack for playing complicated douchebags, and that talent becomes refined here.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 19 Apr. 2024
But what did Crutzen intend by the Anthropocene, a concept since enhanced and refined by years of scientific study?
—Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Apr. 2024
Mader and his team have refined the process across his 30-year career of introducing novel biopharmaceutics, diagnostic tests, and medical devices into the standard of care in healthcare and other clinical settings.
—Chris Gallagher, USA TODAY, 18 Apr. 2024
Hagedorn argued the state's high court would benefit from the case working its way through lower branches, where it could be narrowed and refined.
Laura Schulte and Jessie Opoien of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel contributed to this report.
—Journal Sentinel, 17 Apr. 2024
Besides the frequency-band modification described above, hackers have developed and refined two-way, two-signal repeatersfor drones.
—IEEE Spectrum, 10 Apr. 2024
Jeffrey Kluger, TIME, 25 Apr. 2024
The work that followed was really about refining the storytelling and getting more clear on the narrative and the arcs of the characters that run through this world.
—Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 24 Apr. 2024
Robinson refines that blend of grace and power during daily, eight-hour studio rehearsals, plus two or three nights a week of additional workouts.
—Virginia Brown, Charlotte Observer, 24 Apr. 2024
Stevens has previously shown a knack for playing complicated douchebags, and that talent becomes refined here.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 19 Apr. 2024
But what did Crutzen intend by the Anthropocene, a concept since enhanced and refined by years of scientific study?
—Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Apr. 2024
Mader and his team have refined the process across his 30-year career of introducing novel biopharmaceutics, diagnostic tests, and medical devices into the standard of care in healthcare and other clinical settings.
—Chris Gallagher, USA TODAY, 18 Apr. 2024
Hagedorn argued the state's high court would benefit from the case working its way through lower branches, where it could be narrowed and refined.
Laura Schulte and Jessie Opoien of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel contributed to this report.
—Journal Sentinel, 17 Apr. 2024
Besides the frequency-band modification described above, hackers have developed and refined two-way, two-signal repeatersfor drones.
—IEEE Spectrum, 10 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'refine.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near refine
Cite this Entry
“Refine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/refine. Accessed 29 Apr. 2024.
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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