sentiment

noun

sen·ti·ment | \ ˈsen-tə-mənt

Definition of sentiment

1a : an attitude, thought, or judgment prompted by feeling : predilection

b : a specific view or notion : opinion

2a : emotion

b : refined feeling : delicate sensibility especially as expressed in a work of art

c : emotional idealism

d : a romantic or nostalgic feeling verging on sentimentality

3a : an idea colored by emotion

b : the emotional significance of a passage or expression as distinguished from its verbal context

Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym Example Sentences Learn More about sentiment

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Choose the Right Synonym for sentiment

feeling, emotion, affection, sentiment, passion mean a subjective response to a person, thing, or situation. feeling denotes any partly mental, partly physical response marked by pleasure, pain, attraction, or repulsion; it may suggest the mere existence of a response but imply nothing about the nature or intensity of it. the feelings that once moved me are gone emotion carries a strong implication of excitement or agitation but, like feeling, encompasses both positive and negative responses. the drama portrays the emotions of adolescence affection applies to feelings that are also inclinations or likings. a memoir of childhood filled with affection for her family sentiment often implies an emotion inspired by an idea. her feminist sentiments are well known passion suggests a very powerful or controlling emotion. revenge became his ruling passion

opinion, view, belief, conviction, persuasion, sentiment mean a judgment one holds as true. opinion implies a conclusion thought out yet open to dispute. each expert seemed to have a different opinion view suggests a subjective opinion. very assertive in stating his views belief implies often deliberate acceptance and intellectual assent. a firm belief in her party's platform conviction applies to a firmly and seriously held belief. the conviction that animal life is as sacred as human persuasion suggests a belief grounded on assurance (as by evidence) of its truth. was of the persuasion that everything changes sentiment suggests a settled opinion reflective of one's feelings. her feminist sentiments are well-known

Examples of sentiment in a Sentence

His criticism of the court's decision expresses a sentiment that is shared by many people. an expression of antiwar sentiments She likes warmth and sentiment in a movie. You have to be tough to succeed in the business world. There's no room for sentiment.

Recent Examples on the Web

The sentiment on the Instagram is really sweet, but some are wondering what caused the sudden deep dive. — Carolyn Twersky, Seventeen, "Hailey Baldwin Opens Up About Feeling Insecure in an Intense Instagram Post Amid Rumors of Marriage Trouble with Justin Bieber," 7 Jan. 2019 In the Hood River valley, where anti-Japanese sentiment was particularly strong, an anti-alien organization had arisen before the Klan arrived, and it was soon joined in defaming the Japanese by the American Legion. — Longreads, "Oregon’s Racist Past," 12 July 2018 Although some aspects of the president’s tweet are based in truth, the overall sentiment is an exaggeration that cherry-picks from the poll, said Spencer Kimball, an adviser to Emerson College Polling. — J.d. Capelouto, BostonGlobe.com, "Trump tweeted about an Emerson College poll. But his facts weren’t quite right," 10 July 2018 That sentiment hasn't been a common one in recent years at the hospital. — Morgan Watkins, The Courier-Journal, "University of Louisville Hospital says it's on mend minus KentuckyOne," 5 July 2018 If there were hard feelings when James left for Miami in 2010, the sentiment amongst Cleveland fans is warmer eight years later, thanks to the NBA championship James brought the city two years ago. — Alex Shephard, The New Republic, "How important was LeBron James to Cleveland’s economy?," 2 July 2018 In the Green Bay region and northeast Wisconsin, sentiment was narrowly positive. — Craig Gilbert, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Foxconn looms as election wild card in Wisconsin for Scott Walker," 27 June 2018 The sentiment behind her post highlights exactly how fashion can be symbolic, especially for women. — Rebekka Ayres, Teen Vogue, "Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Destroyed Shoes Are Now a Historical Artifact," 30 Nov. 2018 The section evokes the sentiment of a British colonial-era law protecting official secrets. — Julhas Alam, The Seattle Times, "Bangladesh newspaper editors protest digital security law," 15 Oct. 2018

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