Polished, a.
Made smooth and glossy, as by friction; hence, highly finished; refined; polite; as, polished plate; polished manners; polished verse.
Shades of meaning
Fernald has no entry of its own for polished; he lists it under fine, polite.
Where he writes about it:
That which is finished is apt to be polished, smooth to the touch, minutely exact in outline; hence fine comes to be a synonym for all words like dainty, delicate, exquisite; as, fine manners, a fine touch, fine perceptions. — from fine
A civil person observes such propriety of speech and manner as to avoid being rude; one who is polite (literally polished) observes more than the necessary proprieties, conforming to all that is graceful, becoming, and thoughtful in the intercourse of refined society. — from polite
Polished refers to external elegancies of speech and manner without reference to spirit or purpose; as, a polished gentleman or a polished scoundrel; cultured refers to a real and high development of mind and soul, of which the external manifestation is the smallest part. — from polite
Synonyms
finepoliteaccomplishedbeautifulcivilclarifiedclearcomminutedcomplaisantcourteouscourtlycultivatedcultureddaintydelicateelegantexcellentexquisitegauzygenteelgracioushandsomekeenminuteniceobligingpurerefinedsensitivesharpslenderslightsmallsmoothsplendidsubtilesubtletenuousthinurbanewell-behavedwell-bredwell-mannered