sophisticates
Cultured, refined people
Sophisticates are people of worldly experience and refined tastes—those at ease in elite cultural settings like art galleries, fine restaurants, or cosmopolitan cities.
The word often carries a note of irony or mild mockery: The sophisticates at the gallery opening sipped champagne and discussed the artist's influences.
To sophisticate something is to make it more complex or refined, though this verb use is rare outside technical contexts.
Expert judges of quality
- aesthetesAppreciators of beauty
- cognoscentiKnowledgeable insiders of a field
- aficionadosArdent, knowledgeable enthusiasts
- tastemakersThose shaping popular preferences
cosmopolitans · intellectuals · worldly · refined · cultivated · discerning · urbane · erudite
Wealthy frequent travelers
- socialitesPeople famous for attending events
- glitteratiFashionable wealthy celebrities
- aristocratsHereditary ruling class
- bon vivantsSociable luxury lovers
fashionistas · trendsetters · influencers · elite · privileged · glamorous · exclusive · upscale
Makes purer or better
- elevatesRaises in position
- polishesRubs until shiny
- cultivatesNurtures toward growth
- advancesForward movements or progress
develops · improves · enhances · upgrades · modernizes · complicates · elaborates · matures
connoisseurs
Expert judges of quality
- aesthetesAppreciators of beauty
- cognoscentiKnowledgeable insiders of a field
- aficionadosArdent, knowledgeable enthusiasts
tastemakers · cosmopolitans · intellectuals · worldly · refined · cultivated · discerning · urbane · erudite · polished
jetsetters
Wealthy frequent travelers
- socialitesPeople famous for attending events
- glitteratiFashionable wealthy celebrities
- aristocratsHereditary ruling class
bon vivants · fashionistas · trendsetters · influencers · elite · privileged · glamorous · exclusive · upscale · posh
refines
Makes purer or better
- elevatesRaises in position
- polishesRubs until shiny
- cultivatesNurtures toward growth
advances · develops · improves · enhances · upgrades · modernizes · complicates · elaborates · matures · enriches
- eliteelite, elites, aristocrats, nobility, best
- trendsetterstrendsetter, trendsetters, influencer, fashionistas, style icons
sophisticated, unsophisticated, sophistication, sophisticate