[so.phis.ti.ca.tion] n (15c) 1 a: the use of sophistry: sophistic reasoning b: sophism, quibble
2: the process of making impure or weak: adulteration
3: the process or result of becoming cultured, knowledgeable, or disillusioned; esp: cultivation, urbanity
4: the process or result of becoming more complex, developed, or subtle