sentimental

adjective

sen·​ti·​men·​tal ˌsen-tə-ˈmen-tᵊl How to pronounce sentimental (audio)
Synonyms of sentimental
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

Synonyms of sentimental

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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.
They were joined by sentimental favorite, 46-year-old Adam Scott, and Ludvig Aberg. — ABC News, 29 Aug. 2026 But on a week when everyone’s timelines have been filled with sentimental Parton tributes, Diesel’s post — perhaps the most sentimental of them all — has been something of a moment that’s divided the internet and provided lots of comic relief. — Jonathan Bernstein, Rolling Stone, 27 Aug. 2026 Houston could soar within it because Parton imbued it with a musical and sentimental purity that made room for the enormity of her expressiveness. — Ann Powers, NPR, 26 Aug. 2026 Ditsy floral quilt toppers add a sentimental anchor to bedrooms, while vintage pieces threaded throughout the rest of the property have been lovingly sourced by the experts at New York’s The Somerset House. — Dipal Acharya, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Aug. 2026 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

Phrases Containing sentimental

Rhymes for sentimental

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Browse Nearby Words

sentiment
sentimental
sentimental comedy
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Cite this Entry

“Sentimental.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sentimental. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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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
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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