sentimentalism
noun
sen·ti·men·tal·ism
ˌsen-tə-ˈmen-tə-ˌli-zəm 
1
: the disposition to favor or indulge in sentimentality
2
: an excessively sentimental conception or statement
Examples of sentimentalism in a Sentence
the sentimentalism of 19th-century art
the novel's sentimentalism bored me
Recent Examples on the Web
While leaders of the nature-study movement warned against sentimentalism and make-believe, young readers were delighted by such tales.
—
Jessica George, JSTOR Daily, 25 June 2025
The moment when Sean soothes Laszlo’s fears of losing his best human buddy by telling him that the fear of dying just makes every living moment more special — something else a centuries-old vampire wouldn’t understand — tiptoes right up to the edge of sentimentalism.
—Katie Rife, Vulture, 19 Nov. 2024
King’s honeyed voiceover begins the film with a kind of sentimentalism about childhood and its innocence.
—Lisa Kennedy, Variety, 4 July 2024
The next few songs strand us on a mountaintop of sentimentalism, while subtly rebuking race and genre lines.
—Doreen St. Félix, The New Yorker, 1 Apr. 2024
See All Example Sentences for sentimentalism
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Jessica George, JSTOR Daily, 25 June 2025
The moment when Sean soothes Laszlo’s fears of losing his best human buddy by telling him that the fear of dying just makes every living moment more special — something else a centuries-old vampire wouldn’t understand — tiptoes right up to the edge of sentimentalism.
—Katie Rife, Vulture, 19 Nov. 2024
King’s honeyed voiceover begins the film with a kind of sentimentalism about childhood and its innocence.
—Lisa Kennedy, Variety, 4 July 2024
The next few songs strand us on a mountaintop of sentimentalism, while subtly rebuking race and genre lines.
—Doreen St. Félix, The New Yorker, 1 Apr. 2024
See All Example Sentences for sentimentalism
Cite this Entry
“Sentimentalism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sentimentalism. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
sentimentalism
noun
sen·ti·men·tal·ism
ˌsent-ə-ˈment-ᵊl-ˌiz-əm
1
: a tendency to be sentimental
2
: an overly sentimental idea or statement
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