refine
ri-FYN
/rɪˈfaɪn/
To remove impurities or unwanted elements from a substance; to make minor changes to improve something.
Implies taking something that already exists and making it better or more elegant.
The story behind the word. It literally means 'to finish again.' You take a 'finished' product and work on it more to make it even better.
Word relationships
- polish: Polish is more about the surface or appearance; refine is about the quality or purity.
- adulterate: To make something poorer in quality by adding inferior substances.
Commonly confused with
- define: Define is to state the meaning; refine is to improve the quality.
Word family
- refinement (noun): The improvement or clarification of something.
- refined (adjective): Elegant and cultured in appearance or manner.
Collocations
- refine a process
- refine a technique
- refine a search
Idioms & expressions
- polish to a shine
- fine-tune
Example sentences
- "The company uses a special process to refine the raw oil into high-quality fuel." Manufacturing
- "She spent years trying to refine her technique as a concert pianist." Skill development
Memory hook
Refine is to 'Re-Fine'—to make it fine all over again. Make it better.
When not to use
Don't use for creating something new; use it for polishing something old.
Fun facts
- In the 16th century, 'refined' was mostly used to describe sugar or metals before it was used for people's manners.
Related words
Also appears in
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