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
Many surgeons specialize exclusively in hair transplants and consistently refine their techniques.
—
Kody Boye, USA TODAY, 21 Feb. 2025
Starting small and scaling gradually helps refine the business model and test market demand without the stress of repaying large debts or meeting investor expectations.
—Cheryl Robinson, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2025
Not refining the budget on paper by playing with numbers, but by being productively smart and undertaking a massive effort of production engineering.
—John Bleasdale, Variety, 21 Feb. 2025
For him, though, refining his act in front of all sorts of audiences grounds him in a specific ethos.
—Ismail Muhammad, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2025
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Kody Boye, USA TODAY, 21 Feb. 2025
Starting small and scaling gradually helps refine the business model and test market demand without the stress of repaying large debts or meeting investor expectations.
—Cheryl Robinson, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2025
Not refining the budget on paper by playing with numbers, but by being productively smart and undertaking a massive effort of production engineering.
—John Bleasdale, Variety, 21 Feb. 2025
For him, though, refining his act in front of all sorts of audiences grounds him in a specific ethos.
—Ismail Muhammad, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for refine
Cite this Entry
“Refine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/refine. Accessed 4 Mar. 2025.
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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