sophistication
/səˌfɪstɪˈkeɪʃn/ (bre, ipa) · /səˌfɪstɪˈkeɪʃn/ (ame, ipa) · /sə-ˌfi-stə-ˈkā-shən/ (ame, mw)
sophistication — noun
1. a sign of wide experience and good education, shown by an understanding of the a
a sign of wide experience and good education, shown by an understanding of the arts, polite manners, and the ability to deal with difficult subjects.
Mei's sophistication was clear from the way she compared a French sonnet with a Song dynasty painting.
sophistication from cultural breadth
The ambassador's sophistication helped him move easily between formal dinners and informal talks in rural villages.
Chidi hoped that travelling to eight different countries would give him a taste of real sophistication.
Fatima admired her aunt's sophistication — she always chose the right topic at dinner and put everyone at ease.
Reading widely and visiting museums are two common ways to develop sophistication.
- refinement
focuses on good manners and polished taste rather than broad knowledge
- culture
more general term for the arts and customs of a society; sophistication implies polished, worldly culture
- worldliness
emphasises experience of the world rather than intellectual depth
- naivety
lack of experience and worldly knowledge
- simplicity
a plain or unpretentious quality, the opposite of polished sophistication
用法筆記
Uncountable; often used to describe a person's character, manner, or taste formed through exposure to culture and travel.
常見錯誤
2. the quality of being cleverly and complexly designed, so that a machine, system,
the quality of being cleverly and complexly designed, so that a machine, system, or piece of software can do difficult or delicate tasks.
The sophistication of the new microscope let scientists photograph single atoms for the first time.
sophistication of [device] + ability to [do complex task]
Diego was impressed by the engineering sophistication behind the bridge's design — it could survive an earthquake.
The software's sophistication meant it could translate a live speech into five languages at the same time.
Modern cars pack a level of technological sophistication that drivers from the 1970s could never have imagined.
The satellite's sophistication allowed it to photograph the Earth in detail sharp enough to count cars in a parking lot.
- complexity
neutral term for having many parts; sophistication adds the idea of clever or advanced design
- advanced design
a phrase rather than a single word; more transparent to learners
- ingenuity
focuses on cleverness and inventiveness in the design
- crudeness
a simple or rough quality, the opposite of polished engineering
- simplicity
in this context, a low level of technical development
用法筆記
Uncountable; typically describes the design of devices, instruments, or systems rather than people.