Can I say "Jane is not so sophisticated as Teri" and mean "Teri is a complex person while Jane is more simple?

Question

It is about the words "sophisticated person". Can I use it instead of "complex"? I recently had an argument because I said "Asian women are not as sophisticated as Western women" but I did it for praise of Asian women. I meant Western people are too complex and Asian people are more pure. Do you think I used the word wrongly?

Answer 1

I would say you used it incorrectly. The way you phrased the sentence, it sounds like a put down to Asian women. If you meant less complex, you should have just said that.

Answer 2

Yes, you can, as "sophisticated" means "lacking natural simplicity or naiveté" (that is, not complex). However, it also means "Having acquired worldly knowledge or refinement", which suggests that someone unsophisticated is less advanced.

Basically, yes, you can say that. Unfortunately, the word also implies that Asians are simple in a bad way -- that they are unrefined or more "savage" than western women. I would refrain from using the word if I were you, as I can see why somone might be offended by it (although I understand what you meant).

Answer 3

Sophisticated, in my opinion, seems to imply that someone is more "proper" or well-mannered, whereas an unsophisticated person is more crude. You might want to use another word, or you could be getting the wrong meaning across.