sentimental

adjective

sen·​ti·​men·​tal ˌsen-tə-ˈmen-tᵊl How to pronounce sentimental (audio)
1
a
: marked or governed by feeling, sensibility, or emotional idealism
b
: resulting from feeling rather than reason or thought
a sentimental attachment
a sentimental favorite
2
: having an excess of sentiment or sensibility
sentimentally adverb

Examples of sentimental in a Sentence

He has a sentimental attachment to his old high school. She saved her wedding gown for sentimental reasons. He has sentimental ideas about the past. I tend to get very sentimental when I think about my childhood.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The ‘pouf sentimental’ hairstyle was created by hairdresser Leonard Autie and debuted on the Duchesse de Chartres in 1774, famously adorned with 14 yards of gauze, figurines, a plate of cherries and a parrot. Lee Sharrock, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025 That is my favorite now because of sentimental reasons. Heran Mamo, Billboard, 25 June 2025 The most chaotic list — having run all of these through an algorithm that exists only in my brain — is that of Nicholas Sparks, the sentimental novelist whose books were frequently adapted to the big screen in the aughts. Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 24 June 2025 Read the full Leo Daily Horoscope Virgo (August 23 - September 22) Protecting a sentimental goal? Usa Today, USA Today, 22 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for sentimental

Word History

First Known Use

1741, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of sentimental was in 1741

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Cite this Entry

“Sentimental.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sentimental. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

sentimental

adjective
sen·​ti·​men·​tal ˌsent-ə-ˈment-ᵊl How to pronounce sentimental (audio)
1
a
: marked by feeling or sentiment
b
: resulting from feeling rather than reason or thought
2
: having an excess of sentiment or sensibility
sentimentally
-ᵊl-ē
adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on sentimental

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