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 funny thing is, by all accounts, Zaslav is also genuinely sentimental about the network and said to even have it on at his office quite often. Christian Blauvelt, IndieWire, 9 July 2025 The luxury label’s classic products—often resold or passed down through generations—gain sentimental and financial value over time, per the report. Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 8 July 2025 On July 7, Richardson, who played Julia McNamara in the series, was feeling sentimental and reflected on the cast's experience filming the six-season drama in an Instagram post. Julia Moore, People.com, 8 July 2025 Like most great underdog stories, Rudy is sentimental and a bit formulaic. Sophie Van Bastelaer, EW.com, 7 July 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 19 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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