Sophisticate
/səˈfɪs.tɪ.keɪt/noun
To make or become worldly, polished, or less naive; also, to adulterate or make impure.
Did you know?The word ultimately comes from Greek sophos, “wise,” but in classical Athens the Sophists were often accused of using clever language to seduce minds rather than reveal truth.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
sophós
“wise, skilled”
Ancient Greek
Greek
sophistḗs
“a wise man, teacher, or later a paid teacher of rhetoric”
Late Latin
Latin
sophisticāre
“to make subtle, to adulterate, to reason captiously”
Old French
Old French
sophistiquer
“to adulterate; to make artificial or complex”
16th Century
English
sophisticate
“to adulterate or render less pure by admixture”
Modern English
English
sophisticate
“to make or become cultured, refined, or worldly; also to make less natural or genuine”
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