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.
Every fan of the series (and likely plenty of its haters) will remember Ted’s breakthrough session with Sharon (Sarah Niles) as one of the sentimental series’ most resonant moments. — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 7 Oct. 2026 Mariachi is very sentimental, while banda brings the party and total chaos. — Tere Aguilera, Billboard, 7 Oct. 2026 In a sentimental moment before Game 2 of the Wild Card Series, Bellinger caught the ceremonial first pitch from his father, Clay Bellinger, who played for the Yankees from 1999-2001. — Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 1 Oct. 2026 But Vasquez cautioned against being overly sentimental about how much the Salvadoran experience has been accepted and adopted by the greater patchwork of Latino Los Angeles. — Daniel Hernandez, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 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 14 Oct. 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
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