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sentimentalism

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noun sen·ti·men·tal·ism \ ˌsen-tə-ˈmen-tə-ˌli-zəm \
Updated on: 11 Sep 2017

Definition of sentimentalism

1 :the disposition to favor or indulge in sentimentality
2 :an excessively sentimental conception or statement
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sentimentalist

play \ˌsen-tə-ˈmen-tə-list\ noun

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Examples of sentimentalism in a Sentence

  1. the sentimentalism of 19th-century art

  2. the novel's sentimentalism bored me

Recent Examples of sentimentalism from the Web

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'sentimentalism.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of sentimentalism

1817

sentimentalism Synonyms

Synonyms
bathos, gooeyness, lovey-doveyness, mawkishness, mush, mushiness, saccharinity, sappiness, sentimentality, sloppiness, soppiness, syrup (also sirup)
Related Words
emotion; sentiment; corn, corniness, hokeyness (or hokiness), schmaltz (also schmalz)
Near Antonyms
cynicism, hardheadedness, hard-heartedness

SENTIMENTALISM Defined for English Language Learners

sentimentalism

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noun

Definition of sentimentalism for English Language Learners

  • : a tendency to have or express feelings of love, sadness, etc., especially in a way that seems foolish or excessive : a sentimental quality

Learn More about sentimentalism

  1. See words that rhyme with sentimentalism Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for sentimentalism

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Examples: sentimentalism in a Sentence