sentimental

adjective

sen·​ti·​men·​tal ˌsen-tə-ˈmen-tᵊl How to pronounce sentimental (audio)
Synonyms of sentimentalnext
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.
If the stain is in a high-traffic area or if the carpet has sentimental or financial value (or even is an antique), bringing in a professional sooner rather than later is a smart move. Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 25 Dec. 2025 Last year, the Obamas and their two daughters — Malia, 27, and Sasha, 24 — marked the holiday with sentimental posts on social media in which Barack shared a family photo on Instagram, while Michelle posted an image of their family dog, Sunny. Anna Lazarus Caplan, PEOPLE, 25 Dec. 2025 Tis the season to be sentimental. Jim Reineking, USA Today, 25 Dec. 2025 There are romantic, sentimental moments, as when the young hero leaves his wife to go to Transylvania, and those call for an Old Hollywood sound. Alex Ross, New Yorker, 22 Dec. 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 26 Dec. 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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