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Origin and history of sophisticate

sophisticate(v.)

c. 1400, sophisticaten, transitive, "make impure by admixture, add a foreign or inferior substance to," from Medieval Latin sophisticatus, past participle of sophisticare "adulterate; cheat; quibble" (see sophistication). It is attested from c. 1600 as "obscure or corrupt with fallacies, delude by sophistry," and by 1796 as "deprive of simplicity." Related: Sophisticated; sophisticating.

As a noun, "sophisticated person," it is attested from 1921, according to OED a back-formation from the verb.

also from c. 1400

Entries linking to sophisticate

sophisticated(adj.)

c. 1600, "mixed with a foreign substance, impure; no longer simple or natural," past-participle adjective from sophisticate (v.). In reference to persons, and in a positive sense of "worldly-wise, discriminating, cultured," it is attested by 1895. Related: Sophisticatedly.

The earlier adjective in English was sophisticate, attested from c. 1400 as "adulterated, impure, spurious" and by 1590s as "no longer simple," often with implications of "altered dishonestly."

sophistication(n.)

early 15c., sophisticacioun, "use of sophistry; fallacious argument intended to mislead; disingenuous alteration; an adulterated or adulterating substance," from Medieval Latin sophisticationem (nominative sophisticatio), noun of action from past-participle stem of sophisticare "adulterate, cheat quibble," from Latin sophisticus "of sophists," from Greek sophistikos "of or pertaining to a sophist," from sophistēs "a wise man, master, teacher" (see sophist). Greek sophistēs came to mean "one who gives intellectual instruction for pay," and at Athens, contrasted with "philosopher," it became a term of contempt. 

The meaning "worldly wisdom, refinement, discrimination" in English is attested by 1850. Related: Sophisticative; sophisticator.

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    Trends of sophisticate

    adapted from books.google.com/ngrams/ with a 7-year moving average; ngrams are probably unreliable.

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