Re*fine"ment (r?*f?n"ment),
n. [Cf. F.
raffinement.]
1. The act of refining, or the state
of being refined; as, the refinement or metals; refinement
of ideas.
The more bodies are of kin to spirit in
subtilty and refinement, the more diffusive are they.
Norris. From the civil war
to this time, I doubt
whether the corruptions in our language have not equaled its
refinements.
Swift.
2. That which is refined, elaborated, or polished to excess; an
affected subtilty; as, refinements of logic. "The
refinements of irregular cunning."
Rogers.
Syn. -- Purification; polish; politeness; gentility;
elegance; cultivation; civilization.
Hear it pronounced