REFINEMENT Synonyms: 173 Similar and Opposite Words

refinement

noun

ri-ˈfīn-mənt

as in improvement

an instance of notable progress in the development of knowledge, technology, or skill the recent refinements in this area of medical technology

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in accomplishment

a high level of taste and enlightenment as a result of extensive intellectual training and exposure to the arts had a sense of refinement that her small hometown couldn't satisfy, so she moved to New York City to be closer to great museums and concert halls

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in elegance

dignified or restrained beauty of form, appearance, or style although she can afford all the jewelry that money can buy, she dresses with the gentle refinement that only taste can bestow

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of refinement For that audience, which industry data suggests now numbers in the hundreds of millions of social-media creators worldwide, the combination of real-time guidance, aesthetic personalities, and one-tap refinement speaks to a gap that many native camera apps still do not fully address. —

Connie Etemadi, USA Today, 12 May 2026 Pall Mall has always understood ritual and refinement. —

Ken Silverio, Robb Report, 9 May 2026 Achieving all of these goals simultaneously requires years of testing and refinement. —

Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 8 May 2026 The control strategies for the double-clutch paddle-shift gearbox have also been improved, cutting shift times at the expense of a bit of refinement. —

Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 1 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for refinement

Recent Examples of Synonyms for refinement

Noun

But first, some improvements would be necessary.

— Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 14 May 2026
In an interview with Jim Cramer last week, CVS CEO David Joyner acknowledged its Aetna business got off track but said it’s now seen five quarters of improvement.

— Jeff Marks, CNBC, 13 May 2026