sophisticate

1 of 2

verb

so·​phis·​ti·​cate sə-ˈfi-stə-ˌkāt 

sophisticated; sophisticating

transitive verb

1

: to alter deceptively

especially : adulterate

2

: to deprive of genuineness, naturalness, or simplicity

especially : to deprive of naïveté and make worldly-wise : disillusion

3

: to make complicated or complex

sophisticate

2 of 2

noun

so·​phis·​ti·​cate sə-ˈfi-sti-kət  -stə-ˌkāt 

: a sophisticated person

Synonyms

Verb

• complex
• complexify
• complicate
• embarrass
• entangle
• perplex

Noun

• city slicker
• cosmopolitan
• cosmopolite
• metropolitan
• slicker

Examples of sophisticate in a Sentence

Verb

there's no need to sophisticate something that is beautiful in its simplicity

vanilla extract that has been sophisticated with corn syrup

Noun

sophisticates laughing at people they thought of as hicks

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

By popular belief, never proved legally, Lansky sophisticated the Mafia’s crude leadership of the 1920s and 1930s -- showing them the subtleties of financial manipulation, concealment and investment of the proceeds of bootlegging and gambling. —Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2025

At that level, the SEC considers investors sophisticated enough to protect their own financial interests despite the risk of putting money in unregistered securities. —Kate Rooney, CNBC, 27 Mar. 2025

Noun

Neither film mentions the pandemic, but both show how a circle of moneyed, urban sophisticates represses feelings about death and anxiety. —Armond White, National Review, 2 Apr. 2025

Its release comes amid a burgeoning arms race for salary cap tools and sophisticates. —Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 20 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Medieval Latin sophisticatus, past participle of sophisticare, from Latin sophisticus sophistic, from Greek sophistikos, from sophistēs sophist

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1923, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for sophisticate

• abbreviate
• accelerate
• accommodate
• accumulate
• acuminate
• adjudicate
• adulterate
• affiliate
• agglomerate
• agglutinate
• alleviate
• amalgamate

Kids Definition

sophisticate

1 of 2 verb

so·​phis·​ti·​cate sə-ˈfis-tə-ˌkāt 

sophisticated; sophisticating

: to cause to become sophisticated

sophistication

-ˌfis-tə-ˈkā-shən

noun

sophisticate

2 of 2 noun

so·​phis·​ti·​cate sə-ˈfis-ti-kət 

-tə-ˌkāt

: a sophisticated person

Medical Definition

sophisticate

transitive verb

so·​phis·​ti·​cate sə-ˈfis-tə-ˌkāt 

sophisticated; sophisticating

: to make impure : adulterate

a sophisticated oil