SG Heritage Dictionary

Refinement [Noun] Webster's Dictionary 1828

1. The act of purifying by separating from a substance all extraneous matter; a clearing from dross, dregs or recrement; as the refinement of metals or liquors.

2. The state of being pure.

3. The more bodies are of a kin to spirit in subtilty and refinement the more diffusive are they.

4. Polish of language; elegance; purity.

5. From the civil war to this time, I doubt whether the corruptions in our language have not equaled its refinements.

6. Polish of manners; elegance; nice observance of the civilities of social intercourse and of graceful decorum. refinement of manners is often found in persons of corrupt morals.

7. Purity of taste; nice perception of beauty and propriety in literature and the arts.

8. Purity of mind and morals; nice perception and observance of rectitude in moral principles and practice.

9. Purity of heart; the state of the heart purified from sensual and evil affections. This refinement is the effect of christian principles.

10. Artificial practice; subtilty; as the refinements of cunning.

11. Affectation of nicety, or of elegant improvement; as the refinements of reasoning or philosophy.

Refinement [Noun] Webster's Dictionary 1913

1. The act of refining, or the state of being refined; as, the refinement or metals; refinement of ideas.

2. That which is refined, elaborated, or polished to excess; an affected subtilty; as, refinements of logic.

Discrimination Roget’s Thesaurus §465

N. discrimination, distinction, differentiation, diagnosis, diorism, nice perception, perception of difference, appreciation of difference, estimation, nicety, refinement, taste, critique, judgment, tact, discernment, acuteness, penetration, nuances, dope*, past performances

V. discriminate, distinguish, severalize, recognize, match, identify, separate, draw the line, sift, separate the chaff from the wheat, winnow the chaff from the wheat, separate the men from the boys, split hairs, draw a fine line, nitpick, quibble, estimate, know which is which, know what is what, know "a hawk from a handsaw", take into account, take into consideration, give due weight to, allow due weight to, weigh carefully

Adj. discriminating, dioristic, discriminative, distinctive, nice

Phr. il y a fagots et fagots, rem acu tetigisti, la critique est aisee et l'art est difficile, miles apart, a distinction without a difference

Intelligence. Wisdom Roget’s Thesaurus §498

N. intelligence, capacity, comprehension, understanding, cuteness, sabe *, savvy *, intellect, nous, parts, sagacity, mother wit, wit, esprit, gumption, quick parts, grasp of intellect, acuteness, acumen, subtlety, penetration, perspicacy, perspicacity, discernment, due sense of, good judgment, discrimination, cunning, refinement, head, brains, headpiece, upper story, long head, eagle eye, eagle- glance, eye of a lynx, eye of a hawk, wisdom, sapience, sense, good sense, common sense, horse sense, plain sense, rationality, reason, reasonableness, judgment, solidity, depth, profundity, caliber, enlarged views, reach of thought, compass of thought, enlargement of mind, genius, inspiration, geist, fire of genius, heaven-born genius, soul, talent, prudence, vigilance, tact, foresight, sobriety, self-possession, aplomb, ballast, a bright thought, not a bad idea, solomon-like wisdom

V. be -intelligent, have all one's wits about one, understand, catch an idea, take in an idea, take a joke, take a hint, see through, see at a glance, see with half an eye, see far into, see through a millstone, penetrate, discern, foresee, discriminate, know what's what, listen to reason

Adj. intelligent, quick of apprehension, keen, acute, alive, brainy, awake, bright, quick, sharp, quick witted, keen witted, clear witted, sharp- eyed, sharp sighted, sharp witted, wide-awake, canny, shrewd, astute, clear-headed, farsighted, discerning, perspicacious, penetrating, piercing, argute, quick-witted, nimble- witted, needle-witted, sharp as a needle, sharp as a tack, alive to, clever, arch, pas si bete, acute, wise, sage, sapient, sagacious, reasonable, rational, sound, in one's right mind, sensible, abnormis sapiens, judicious, strong-minded, unprejudiced, unbiased, unbigoted, unprepossessed, undazzled, unperplexed, unwarped judgment, impartial, equitable, fair, cool, cool-headed, long-headed, hardheaded, strong-headed, long- sighted, calculating, thoughtful, reflecting, solid, deep, profound, oracular, heaven-directed, heaven-born, prudent, sober, stand, solid, considerate, politic, wise in one's generation, watchful, provident, in advance of one' age, wise as a serpent, wise as solomon, wise as solon, wise, sensible, reasonable, judicious, well- thought-out, well-planned, well-judged, well-advised, prudent, politic, expedient

Phr. aut regem aut fatuum nasci oportet, "but with the morning cool reflection came", flosculi sententiarum, les affaires font les hommes, mas vale saber que haber, mas vale ser necio que profiadol nemo solus sapit, nosce te, γνῶθι σεαυτόν, nullum magnum ingenium sine mixtura dementiae fuit, sapere aude, victrix fortunae sapientia

Improvement Roget’s Thesaurus §658

N. improvement, amelioration, melioration, # betterment, mend, amendment, emendation, mending, advancement, advance, ascent, promotion, preferment, elevation, increase, cultivation, civilization, culture, march of intellect, menticulture, race-culture, eugenics, reform, reformation, revision, radical reform, second thoughts, correction, limoe labor, refinement, elaboration, purification, oxidation, repair, recovery, revise, new edition, reformer, radical

V. improve, be better, become better, get better, mend, amend, advance, ascend, increase, fructify, ripen, mature, pick up, come about, rally, take a favorable turn, turn over a new leaf, turn the corner, raise one's head, sow one's wild oats, recover, be better, be improved by, turn to right account, turn to good account, turn to best account, profit by, reap the benefit of, make good use of, make capital out of, place to good account, render better, improve, mend, amend, better, ameliorate, meliorate, correct, decrassify, improve upon, refine upon, rectify, enrich, mellow, elaborate, fatten, promote, cultivate, advance, forward, enhance, bring forward, bring on, foster, invigorate, touch up, rub up, brush up, furbish up, bolster up, vamp up, brighten up, warm up, polish, cook, make the most of, set off to advantage, prune, repair, put in order, review, revise, make corrections, make improvements, doctor, purify, &c. 652, relieve, refresh, infuse new blood into, recruit, reform, remodel, reorganize, new model, view in a new light, think better of, appeal from philip drunk to philip sober, palliate, mitigate, lessen an evil

Adj. improving, progressive, improved, better, better off, better for, all the better for, better advised, reformatory, emendatory, reparatory, remedial, corrigible, improvable, accultural, adv, on consideration, on reconsideration, on second thoughts, on better advice, ad melius inquirendum, phr, urbent latericiam invenit marmoream reliquit

Beauty Roget’s Thesaurus §845

N. beauty, the beautiful, τὸ καλόν, le beau ideal, aesthetics, callaesthetics|, pulchritude, form elegance, grace, beauty unadorned, natural beauty, symmetry, comeliness, fairness, polish, gloss, good effect, good looks, belle tournure, trigness, bloom, brilliancy, radiance, splendor, gorgeousness, magnificence, sublimity, sublimification|, concinnity, delicacy, refinement, charm, je ne sais quoi, style, venus, aphrodite, hebe, the graces, peri, houri, cupid, apollo, hyperion, adonis, antionous, narcissus, peacock, butterfly, garden, flower of, pink of, bijou, jewel, work of art, flower, flow'ret gay, wildflower, rose, lily, anemone, asphodel, buttercup, crane's bill, daffodil, tulip, tiger lily, day lily, begonia, marigold, geranium, lily of the valley, ranunculus, rhododendron, windflower, pleasurableness, beautifying, landscaping, landscape gardening, decoration, calisthenics|, beauty, hunk

V. be beautiful, shine, beam, bloom, become one, set off, grace, render beautiful, beautify, polish, burnish, gild, set out, "snatch a grace beyond the reach of art"

Adj. beautiful, beauteous, handsome, gorgeous, pretty, lovely, graceful, elegant, prepossessing, attractive, delicate, dainty, refined, fair, personable, comely, seemly, bonny, good- looking, well-favored, well-made, well-formed, well-proportioned, proper, shapely, symmetrical, harmonious, sightly, fit to be seen, passable, not amiss, goodly, dapper, tight, jimp, gimp, janty, jaunty, trig, natty, quaint, trim, tidy, neat, spruce, smart, tricksy, bright, bright eyed, rosy cheeked, cherry cheeked, rosy, ruddy, blooming, in full bloom, brilliant, shining, beamy, beaming, sparkling, splendid, resplendent, dazzling, glowing, glossy, sleek, rich, superb, magnificent, grand, fine, sublime, showy, specious, artistic, artistical, aesthetic, picturesque, pictorial, fait a peindre, well-composed, well grouped, well varied, curious, enchanting, becoming, ornamental, undeformed, undefaced, unspotted, spotless

Phr. auxilium non leve vultus habet, "beauty born of murmuring sound", "flowers preach to us if we will hear", gratior ac pulchro veniens in corpore virtus, "none but the brave deserve the fair", "thou who hast the fatal gift of beauty"

Taste Roget’s Thesaurus §850

N. taste, good taste, refined taste, #cultivated taste, delicacy, refinement, fine feeling, gust, gusto, #tact, finesse, nicety, τὸ πρέπον, #polish, elegance, grace, judgment, discernment, dilettantism, dilettanteism, virtu, fine art, culture, cultivation, aesthetics, man of taste &c, connoisseur, judge, critic, conoscente, virtuoso, amateur, dilettante, aristarchus, corinthian, arbiter elegantiarum, stagirite, euphemist, "caviare to the general"

V. appreciate, judge, criticise, discriminate

Adj. in good taste, cute, tasteful, tasty, unaffected, pure, chaste, classical, attic, cultivated, refined, dainty, esthetic, aesthetic, artistic, elegant, euphemistic, to one's taste, to one's mind, after one's fancy, comme il faut, tiré à quatre épingles

Adv. elegantly

Phr. nihil tetigit quod non ornavit, chacun à son goût, oculi pictura tenentur aures cantibus