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
Internal teams use large language models to refine standard operating procedures, build training frameworks, and identify workflow improvements.
—
Daniel Fusch, USA Today, 17 Feb. 2026
There, teams can refine it, compare options side by side, and align on design decisions.
—Deirdre Bosa, CNBC, 17 Feb. 2026
Currently, isoprene is derived primarily from petroleum or natural gas—over 800,000 tons per year are refined from petroleum, mainly for the production of synthetic rubber.
—Srishti Gupta, Interesting Engineering, 16 Feb. 2026
Think whole-grain bread instead of refined, or bean spreads in place of mayo.
—Lynn Andriani, Martha Stewart, 16 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for refine
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Daniel Fusch, USA Today, 17 Feb. 2026
There, teams can refine it, compare options side by side, and align on design decisions.
—Deirdre Bosa, CNBC, 17 Feb. 2026
Currently, isoprene is derived primarily from petroleum or natural gas—over 800,000 tons per year are refined from petroleum, mainly for the production of synthetic rubber.
—Srishti Gupta, Interesting Engineering, 16 Feb. 2026
Think whole-grain bread instead of refined, or bean spreads in place of mayo.
—Lynn Andriani, Martha Stewart, 16 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for refine
Cite this Entry
“Refine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/refine. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.
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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