sophistiziert

Etymology 1

• From Middle English sophisticaten (“to mix (something) with a foreign or inferior substance, adulterate”),
  • from Medieval Latin sophisticātus,
    • the perfectpassive participle of sophisticāre (“to disguise; to tamper with; to trick using words”)
    • (see -ate (verb-forming suffix) for more).
    • 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”),
        • from σοφός (sophós, “able, skilful; clever, intelligent, prudent, wise; cunning”), further etymology unknown) + -ō (first conjugation verb-forming suffix).

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.

      Synonyms: denaturalize, denature

   2. To make (something) more sophisticated (“complex, developed, or refined”); to develop, to refine. [from late 18th c.]

      Synonyms: complicate, enhance, hone, improve, optimize, perfect, polish

   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.

      Synonyms: broaden someone's horizons, deparochialize

   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.]

      Synonyms: abase, bastardize, dash; seduce, subvert; see also Thesaurus:adulterate, Thesaurus:pervert

   5. To change the meaning of (something) in a deceptive or misleading way.

      Synonyms: distort, pervert, skew, twist

   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.]

Etymology 2

From Middle English sophisticat, sophisticate (“adulterated; not genuine, counterfeit”), an adjective use of the past participle of sophisticaten (verb) See Etymology 1 and -ate (adjective-forming suffix) for more.

Adjective

sophisticate (comparative more sophisticate, superlative most sophisticate)

1. Synonym of sophistizierten (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.
   4. (obsolete) Of a thing: having its meaning changed in a deceptive or misleading way.