Synonyms/Hypernyms (Ordered by Estimated Frequency) of noun refinement

5 senses of refinement

Sense 1
polish, refinement, culture, cultivation, finish -- (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)
       => perfection, flawlessness, ne plus ultra -- (the state of being without a flaw or defect)

Sense 2
refinement, elaboration -- (the result of improving something; "he described a refinement of this technique")
       => improvement, betterment, advance -- (a change for the better; progress in development)

Sense 3
refining, refinement, purification -- (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")

Sense 4
nuance, nicety, shade, subtlety, 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, significance, signification, import -- (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 ambiguous")

Sense 5
refinement, civilization, civilisation -- (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)