sophisticate

English
WOTD – 9 December 2022

Pronunciation

Etymology 1

The verb is derived from Middle English sophisticaten (“to mix (something) with a foreign or inferior substance, adulterate”),[1] from Medieval Latin sophisticātus, the past participle of sophisticāre (“to disguise; to tamper with; to trick using words”) + -ātus (suffix denoting the possession of features or things).[2][3] Sophisticāre is derived from Latin sophisticus (“pertaining to the ancient Sophists, sophistic; pertaining to sophistry, sophistic, sophistical”) (from Ancient Greek σοφιστικός (sophistikós), from σοφιστής (sophistḗs, “master of a craft; prudent or wise person; philosopher; teacher, tutor; (derogatory) one who profits from false wisdom, cheat, swindler”),[4][5] from σοφός (sophós, “able, skilful; clever, intelligent, prudent, wise; cunning”), further etymology unknown) + -āre (suffix forming present active infinitives of verbs).

The noun is derived from the verb.[3][6]

cognates

Verb

sophisticate (third-person singular simple present sophisticates, present participle sophisticating, simple past and past participle sophisticated)

  1. (transitive)
    1. To make (something) less innocent or natural; to artificialize.
      • 1796, [Frances Burney], “The Rooms”, in Camilla: Or, A Picture of Youth. […], volume III, London: […] T[homas] Payne, […]; and T[homas] Cadell Jun. and W[illiam] Davies (successors to Mr. [Thomas] Cadell) […], →OCLC, book VI, pages 269–270:
        The party to vvhich Mrs. Berlinton vvas the loadſtone, vvas far more attractive to the diſciples of nature, though leſs ſedulouſly ſought by thoſe vvhom the manners and maxims of the common vvorld had ſophiſticated.
      • 1820, William Hazlitt, “Lecture I. Introductory.”, in Lectures Chiefly on the Dramatic Literature of the Age of Elizabeth. […], London: Stodart and Steuart, […]; Edinburgh: Bell and Bradfute, →OCLC, page 2:
        [T]hey were not the spoiled children of affectation and refinement, but a bold, vigorous, independent race of thinkers, with prodigious strength and energy, with none but natural grace, and heartfelt unobtrusive delicacy. They were not at all sophisticated.
      • [1879], [Mary Elizabeth Braddon], “La Chicot”, in The Cloven Foot […], volume I, London: John and Robert Maxwell […], →OCLC, page 71:
        She was no scion of the English houses of Brown, Jones, or Robinson, born and bred in a London back slum, and christened plain Sarah or Mary, to be sophisticated later into Celestine or Mariette.
      • 1960, R[ichard] S[tanley] Peters, “Motives and Motivation”, in R. F. Holland, editor, The Concept of Motivation (Studies in Philosophical Psychology), 2nd edition, London: Routledge & Kegan Paul; New York, N.Y.: Humanities Press, published 1965, →OCLC, page 38:
        Psychologists have developed quasi-causal theories to explain the directedness of behaviour, to answer the question ‘Why are certain sorts of reasons operative?’ and these theories may well have insinuated themselves into ordinary language as part of the meaning of “motive”. It might well be, therefore, that people who are slightly sophisticated by psychological theories assume some such necessary connexion [between giving the motive for an action and making any assertions of a causal kind about a man’s emotional state].
    2. To make (something) more sophisticated (“complex, developed, or refined”); to develop, to refine. [from late 18th c.]
    3. (also reflexive) To make (oneself or someone) more sophisticated (“experienced in the ways of the world, that is, cosmopolitan or worldly-wise”); to cosmopolitanize.
    4. (also figuratively) To alter and make impure (something) by mixing it with some foreign or inferior substance, especially with an intention to deceive; to adulterate; (generally) to corrupt or deceive (someone, their thinking, etc.). [from early 15th c.]
      • 1523, John Skelton, “A Ryght Delectable Tratyse vpon a Goodly Garlande or Chapelet of Laurell, […]”, in Alexander Dyce, editor, The Poetical Works of John Skelton: […], volume I, London: Thomas Rodd, […], published 1843, →OCLC, page 366, lines 109–110:
        How be it, it were harde to construe this lecture; / Sophisticatid craftely is many a confecture; […]
      • 1594, Richard Hooker, “To the Most Reverend Father in God My Very Good Lord, the Lord Archbishop of Canterburie His Grace [John Whitgift], Primate and Metropolitane of All England”, in J[ohn] S[penser], editor, Of the Lawes of Ecclesiastical Politie, […], 3rd edition, London: […] Will[iam] Stansby [for Matthew Lownes], published 1611, →OCLC, book IV, page [174]:
        For there are diuers motiues, dravving men to fauour mightily thoſe opinions vvherein their perſvvaſions are but vveakely ſetled: and if the paſſions of the minde be ſtrong, they eaſily ſophiſticate the vnderſtanding, they make it apt to beeleeue vpon very ſclender vvarrant and to imagine infallible truth vvhere ſcarce any probable ſhevv appeareth.
      • 1610 (first performance), Ben[jamin] Jonson, The Alchemist, London: […] Thomas Snodham, for Walter Burre, and are to be sold by Iohn Stepneth, […], published 1612, →OCLC; reprinted Menston, Yorkshire: The Scolar Press, 1970, →OCLC, Act I, scene iii:
        This is my friend, Abel, an honeſt fellovv, / He let me haue good Tobacco, and he do's not / Sophiſticate it, vvith Sack-lees, or Oyle, […]
      • 1621 February 24 (Gregorian calendar), Lancelot Andrewes, “A Sermon Preached before King James, at Whitehall, on the Fourteenth of February, A.D. MDCXXI. Being Ash-Wednesday”, in J[ohn] P[osthumous] W[ilson], editor, Ninety-six Sermons […], volume I, Oxford, Oxfordshire: John Henry Parker, published 1841, →OCLC, page 376:
        It is the manner of the world, and so it is of the "prince of the world," to sophisticate ever the best things with hypocrisy, with superstition, with a thousand devices more.
      • 1639, James Howell, “To my Lord Clifford, from Edenburgh”, in Epistolæ Ho-Elianæ. Familiar Letters Domestic and Forren. […], 3rd edition, volume (please specify the page), London: […] Humphrey Mos[e]ley, […], published 1655, →OCLC:
        to mingle or sophisticate any Wine here
      • 1678, [John] Dryden, “Epilogue”, in Nat[haniel] Lee, Mithridates King of Pontus, a Tragedy: […], London: […] R[obert] E[veringham] for James Magnes and Rich[ard] Bentley, […], →OCLC:
        Yet the rich Cullies may their boaſting ſpare; / They purchaſe but ſophiſticated VVare.
      • 1700, [William] Congreve, The Way of the World, a Comedy. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC, Act IV, scene i, page 58:
        VVhy have you not been Naught? Have you not been Sophiſticated?
      • 1829, Robert Southey, “Colloquy XI. Infidelity.—Church Establishment.”, in Sir Thomas More: or, Colloquies on the Progress and Prospects of Society. […], volume II, London: John Murray, […], →OCLC, pages 117–118:
        His professional library is neither filled with extravagant and impious fictions, […] nor of books of casuistry, which sophisticate the understanding and defile the heart; […]
      • 1873, Matthew Arnold, “The New Testament Record”, in Literature & Dogma: An Essay towards a Better Apprehension of the Bible, London: Smith, Elder, & Co. […], →OCLC, section 4, page 172:
        Plato sophisticates somewhat the genuine Socrates; but it is very doubtful whether the culture and mental energy of Plato did not give him a more adequate vision of the true Socrates than Xenophon had.
    5. To change the meaning of (something) in a deceptive or misleading way.
      • 1608, [Guillaume de Salluste Du Bartas], “[Du Bartas His Second VVeeke, […].Noah. […].] The Arke. The I. Part of the II. Day of the II. Week.”, in Josuah Sylvester, transl., Du Bartas His Deuine Weekes and Workes […], 3rd edition, London: […] Humfrey Lownes [and are to be sold by Arthur Iohnson […]], published 1611, →OCLC, page 302:
        The heavy hand of the high Thunderer / Shall light on thee; and thou I doubt ſhalt be / His Furies object, and ſhalt teſtifie / By thine infamous lifes accurſed ſtate, / VVhat novv thy ſhame-leſs lips ſophiſticate.
      • 1803 April 9, Thomas Jefferson, “John Adams to Thomas Jefferson. Quincy, July 16, 1813 [quoting Jefferson’s letter to Dr. Joseph Priestley]”, in The Writings of Thomas Jefferson; […], volume VI, New York, N.Y.: Riker, Thorne & Co.; Washington, D.C.: Taylor & Maury, published 1854, →OCLC, page 169:
        His character and doctrines have received still greater injury from those who pretend to be his special disciples, and who have disfigured and sophisticated his actions and precepts from views of personal interest, so as to induce the unthinking part of mankind to throw off the whole system in disgust, and to pass sentence, as an impostor on the most innocent, the most benevolent, the most eloquent and sublime character that has ever been exhibited to man.
    6. (archaic) To apply an artificial technique to (something).
  2. (intransitive) To practise sophistry (“the (deliberate) making of arguments that seem plausible but are fallacious or misleading”). [from early 17th c.]
Derived terms
Translations
to make (something) less innocent or natural — see artificialize
to alter and make impure (something) by mixing it with some foreign or inferior substance, especially with an intention to deceive — see adulterate
to corrupt or deceive (someone, their thinking, etc.) — see corrupt,‎ deceive

Noun

sophisticate (plural sophisticates)

  1. A person who is sophisticated (“experienced in the ways of the world, that is, cosmopolitan or worldly-wise”), or who has sophisticated tastes. [from early 20th c.]
    • 1991 December 1, Rudy Grillo, “Who's The Top?”, in Gay Community News, volume 19, number 20, page 8:
      […] the soporific details of Porter's socially correct marriage of convenience to wealthy and somewhat enigmatic Linda, "a professional beauty." They evidently shared a taste for high social status and the elegant luxuries, high life and freedoms afforded by wealth. Linda and Cole are portrayed as the ultimate sophisticates but the viewer is never told the cause for their separation or why they married.
    • 2001 September 21, Walt Dohrn, Paul Tibbitt, Merriwether Williams, “Sailor Mouth”, in SpongeBob SquarePants, season 2, episode 18a:
      Patrick Star: Because classy sophisticates like us should not stain our lips with cursing. / SpongeBob SquarePants: Yea verily!
Translations

Etymology 2

From Middle English sophisticat, sophisticate (“adulterated; not genuine, counterfeit”), an adjective use of the past participle of sophisticaten (verb): see etymology 1.[1]

Adjective

sophisticate (comparative more sophisticate, superlative most sophisticate)

  1. Synonym of sophisticated (adjective)
    1. Of a person: experienced in the ways of the world; cosmopolitan, worldly-wise.
    2. Of art or other things: appealing to the tastes of an intellectual or sophisticated (sense 1.1) person; cerebral; also, cultured, elegant, refined.
    3. (obsolete) Mixed with a foreign or inferior substance; not genuine or pure; adulterated, impure.
      • c. 1663, John Dryden, “Epistle the Second. To My Honored Friend Dr. [Walter] Charleton, on His Learned and Useful Works; but More Particularly His Treatise of Stone-henge, by Him Restor’d to the True Founder.”, in The Miscellaneous Works of John Dryden, […], volume II, London: […] J[acob] and R[ichard] Tonson, […], published 1760, →OCLC, page 154:
        So truth, while only one ſupply'd the ſtate, / Grew ſcarce, and dear, and yet ſophiſticate.
    4. (obsolete) Of a thing: having its meaning changed in a deceptive or misleading way.
Translations
synonym of sophisticated — see sophisticated

References
  1. “sophisticāten, v.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
  2. “sophisticate, v.”, in OED Online Paid subscription required⁠, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, June 2022.
  3. “sophisticate, n., adj., and v.”, in Dictionary.com Unabridged, Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present, reproduced from Stuart Berg Flexner, editor in chief, Random House Unabridged Dictionary, 2nd edition, New York, N.Y.: Random House, 1993, →ISBN.
  4. “sophistic, adj. and n.”, in OED Online Paid subscription required⁠, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, March 2022.
  5. “sophistic, adj.”, in Dictionary.com Unabridged, Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present, reproduced from Stuart Berg Flexner, editor in chief, Random House Unabridged Dictionary, 2nd edition, New York, N.Y.: Random House, 1993, →ISBN.
  6. “sophisticate, n.”, in OED Online Paid subscription required⁠, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, June 2022.

Further reading
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