What does "refine" mean?

To purify; reduce to a fine, unmixed, or pure state; to free from impurities.

What is a synonym for "refine"?

Common synonyms include: polish, abate, abrade, abstract, acculturate, advance.

//ɹɪˈfaɪn// verb

verb ·Common ·High school level

Verb

1
To purify; reduce to a fine, unmixed, or pure state; to free from impurities. transitive
"to refine gold"
2
make more complex, intricate, or richer wordnet
3
To become pure; to be cleared of impure matter. intransitive
4
make more precise or increase the discriminatory powers of wordnet
5
To purify of coarseness, vulgarity, inelegance, etc.; to polish. transitive
"to refine someone's manners"

Show 6 more definitions

6
attenuate or reduce in vigor, strength, or intensity by polishing or purifying wordnet
7
To improve in accuracy, delicacy, or excellence. ambitransitive
"My dear Harriet, you must not refine too much upon this charade.—You will betray your feelings improperly, if you are too conscious and too quick, and appear to affix more meaning, or even quite all the meaning which may be affixed to it."
8
improve or perfect by pruning or polishing wordnet
9
To make nice or subtle. transitive
"to refine thought"
10
reduce to a fine, unmixed, or pure state; separate from extraneous matter or cleanse from impurities wordnet
11
treat or prepare so as to put in a usable condition wordnet