Sophistication

How to spell sophistication

14 letters · 5 syllables

How to pronounce sophistication

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does sophistication mean?

1. nounThe quality of being refined, worldly, or highly developed in taste, design, or complexity.

Sophistication in a sentence

• The watch was admired for the sophistication of its engineering.

• Her cooking showed a sophistication that the other contestants could not match.

Where does sophistication come from?

Language of origin: Greek

The word traces back to the Greek sophistes, meaning a wise man, skilled teacher, or expert, which itself grew from sophos, the plain word for 'wise'. Through Latin sophisticus and the medieval Latin verb sophisticare, the idea took a surprisingly negative turn: sophisticare meant to tamper with, doctor, or adulterate something, as a merchant might secretly water down wine. English first used 'sophistication' in the late Middle Ages with exactly that unflattering sense of falsification and corruption. Only later, through the 1800s, did the meaning soften and brighten into the modern idea of worldly refinement, cultivated taste, and technical complexity. The same Greek root still shines through in 'philosophy' (literally the love of wisdom), which is a useful reminder that the troublesome middle is spelled with 'phi', giving the 'ph' sound in sophistication.

How the word is built

• soph- (from Greek sophos: wise)
• -ist (one who practises)
• -ic (adjective)
• -ation (noun of process or state)