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Refinement: meaning, example and synonyms

Refinementn. The improvement of something through small, careful changes.

Flashcard for Refinement (noun): the improvement of something through small, careful changes. Example: Each refinement of the telescope's lens design reduced distortion slightly, until astronomers could at last resolve the faint companion star. Synonyms: improvement, enhancement, polishing, revision. Antonyms: deterioration, degradation, coarsening. Memory tip: Re- + fine: refining makes something finer, one small step at a time. Illustration: a craftsperson in an apron at a workbench carefully sanding a wooden violin, with rougher, earlier unfinished violins lined up on a shelf behind.

Example

Each refinement of the telescope's lens design reduced distortion slightly, until astronomers could at last resolve the faint companion star.

Part of speech
noun
Synonyms
improvement, enhancement, polishing, revision
Antonyms
deterioration, degradation, coarsening
Memory tip
Re- + fine: refining makes something finer, one small step at a time.

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Check yourself: Refinement in context

Pick the word that best completes each text.

Question 1

Over centuries of ______, the plow evolved from a simple pointed stick into a curved steel blade that turned the soil far more efficiently.

Question 2

The engineers did not redesign the engine from scratch; instead, each ______ addressed one small inefficiency, and together the changes doubled its fuel economy.

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