sentimental
adjective
sen·ti·men·tal
ˌsen-tə-ˈmen-tᵊl 
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
Though changes were made, following her husband's sudden and unexpected death at age 42 in 1861, the heartbroken Queen Victoria wore mourning dress for the rest of her life and never sported the sentimental tiara again.
—
Janine Henni, PEOPLE, 4 Dec. 2025
For jewelry pieces, the Princess of Wales went the sentimental route, wearing the Prince of Wales Feather Brooch — a piece that dates back to the 19th century and features the Prince of Wales emblem.
—Julia Teti, Footwear News, 3 Dec. 2025
Kate has sported the sentimental earrings—which were a wedding gift to Diana from the Crown Prince Fahd of Saudi Arabia—on a number of occasions, including the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022.
—Emily Chan, Vogue, 3 Dec. 2025
This sounded a little sentimental, given the charred cups and singed windows a few feet away.
—Benjamin Wallace-Wells, New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sentimental
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Janine Henni, PEOPLE, 4 Dec. 2025
For jewelry pieces, the Princess of Wales went the sentimental route, wearing the Prince of Wales Feather Brooch — a piece that dates back to the 19th century and features the Prince of Wales emblem.
—Julia Teti, Footwear News, 3 Dec. 2025
Kate has sported the sentimental earrings—which were a wedding gift to Diana from the Crown Prince Fahd of Saudi Arabia—on a number of occasions, including the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022.
—Emily Chan, Vogue, 3 Dec. 2025
This sounded a little sentimental, given the charred cups and singed windows a few feet away.
—Benjamin Wallace-Wells, New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sentimental
Cite this Entry
“Sentimental.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sentimental. Accessed 8 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
sentimental
adjective
sen·ti·men·tal
ˌsent-ə-ˈment-ᵊl
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
adverb
-ᵊl-ē
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