3 ADJ If you describe a machine or a process as refined , you mean that it has been carefully developed and is therefore very efficient or elegant. □ This technique is becoming more refined and more acceptable all the time.
re|fine|ment /r I fa I nmənt/ (refinements )
1 N‑VAR Refinements are small changes or additions that you make to something in order to improve it. Refinement is the process of making refinements. □ Older cars inevitably lack the latest safety refinements.
2 N‑UNCOUNT Refinement is politeness and good manners. □ …a girl who possessed both dignity and refinement.
re|fin|er /r I fa I nə r / (refiners ) N‑COUNT Refiners are people or organizations that refine substances such as oil or sugar in order to sell them.
re|fin|ery /r I fa I nəri/ (refineries ) N‑COUNT A refinery is a factory where a substance such as oil or sugar is refined.
re|fit (refits , refitting , refitted ) The verb is pronounced /riː f I t/. The noun is pronounced /riː f I t/. VERB [usu passive] When a ship is refitted , it is repaired or is given new parts, equipment, or furniture. □ [be V -ed] During the war, Navy ships were refitted here. ● N‑COUNT Refit is also a noun. □ The ship finished an extensive refit last year.
re|flate /riːfle I t/ (reflates , reflating , reflated ) VERB If a government tries to reflate its country's economy, it increases the amount of money that is available in order to encourage more economic activity. [BUSINESS ] □ [V n] The administration may try to reflate the economy next year. ● re|fla|tion /riːfle I ʃ ə n/ N‑UNCOUNT □ Ministers are again talking about reflation and price controls.
re|flect ◆◆◇ /r I fle kt/ (reflects , reflecting , reflected )
1 VERB If something reflects an attitude or situation, it shows that the attitude or situation exists or it shows what it is like. □ [V n] This conference with all of you here reflects the unity of our nation.
2 VERB When light, heat, or other rays reflect off a surface or when a surface reflects them, they are sent back from the surface and do not pass through it. □ [V prep] The sun reflected off the snow-covered mountains. □ [V n] The glass appears to reflect light naturally.
3 VERB [usu passive] When something is reflected in a mirror or in water, you can see its image in the mirror or in the water. □ [be V -ed] His image seemed to be reflected many times in the mirror.
4 VERB When you reflect on something, you think deeply about it. □ [V ] We should all give ourselves time to reflect. □ [V + on/upon ] I reflected on the child's future.
5 VERB You can use reflect to indicate that a particular thought occurs to someone. □ [V that] Things were very much changed since before the war, he reflected.
6 VERB If an action or situation reflects in a particular way on someone or something, it gives people a good or bad impression of them. □ [V adv + on ] The affair hardly reflected well on the British. □ [V + on ] Your behavior as a teacher outside of school hours reflects on the school. SYNONYMS reflect VERB
1
show: These figures show an increase of over one million in unemployment.
reveaclass="underline" A survey of the British diet has revealed that a growing number of people are overweight.
express: The anxiety of the separation often expresses itself as anger towards the child.
4
consider: Consider how much you can afford to pay for a course, and what is your upper limit.
contemplate: As he lay in his hospital bed that night, he cried as he contemplated his future.
deliberate: She deliberated over the decision for a long time before she made up her mind.
re|flec|tion /r I fle kʃ ə n/ (reflections )
1 N‑COUNT A reflection is an image that you can see in a mirror or in glass or water. □ Meg stared at her reflection in the bedroom mirror.
2 N‑UNCOUNT Reflection is the process by which light and heat are sent back from a surface and do not pass through it. □ [+ of ] …the reflection of a beam of light off a mirror.
3 N‑COUNT If you say that something is a reflection of a particular person's attitude or of a situation, you mean that it is caused by that attitude or situation and therefore reveals something about it. □ [+ of ] Inhibition in adulthood is a reflection of a person's experiences as a child.
4 N‑SING If something is a reflection or a sad reflection on a person or thing, it gives a bad impression of them. □ [+ on ] Infection with head lice is no reflection on personal hygiene. □ [+ on ] The break-up of the library would be a sad reflection on the value we place on our heritage.
5 N‑VAR Reflection is careful thought about a particular subject. Your reflections are your thoughts about a particular subject. □ After days of reflection she decided to write back. ● PHRASE If someone admits or accepts something on reflection , they admit or accept it after having thought carefully about it. □ On reflection, he says, he very much regrets the comments.
re|flec|tive /r I fle kt I v/
1 ADJ If you are reflective , you are thinking deeply about something. [WRITTEN ] □ I walked on in a reflective mood to the car.
2 ADJ If something is reflective of a particular situation or attitude, it is typical of that situation or attitude, or is a consequence of it. □ [+ of ] The German government's support of the U.S. is not entirely reflective of German public opinion.