| Noun | 1. | refinement - a highly developed state of perfection; having a flawless or impeccable quality; "they performed with great polish"; "I admired the exquisite refinement of his prose"; "almost an inspiration which gives to all work that finish which is almost art"--Joseph Conrad | |
| 2. | refinement - the result of improving something; "he described a refinement of this technique" | |
| 3. | refinement - the process of removing impurities (as from oil or metals or sugar etc.)processing - preparing or putting through a prescribed procedure; "the processing of newly arrived immigrants"; "the processing of ore to obtain minerals" rectification - (chemistry) the process of refinement or purification of a substance by distillation | |
| 4. | refinement - a subtle difference in meaning or opinion or attitude; "without understanding the finer nuances you can't enjoy the humor"; "don't argue about shades of meaning"meaning, signification, import, significance - the message that is intended or expressed or signified; "what is the meaning of this sentence"; "the significance of a red traffic light"; "the signification of Chinese characters"; "the import of his announcement was ambigtuous" | |
| 5. | refinement - the quality of excellence in thought and manners and taste; "a man of intellectual refinement"; "he is remembered for his generosity and civilization"excellence - the quality of excelling; possessing good qualities in high degree | |