sentimentality

noun

sen·​ti·​men·​tal·​i·​ty ˌsen-tə-ˌmen-ˈta-lə-tē How to pronounce sentimentality (audio)
-mən-
plural sentimentalities
1
: the quality or state of being sentimental especially to excess or in affectation
2
: a sentimental idea or its expression

Examples of sentimentality in a Sentence

the sentimentality of Romantic poetry the sentimentality of the story of star-crossed lovers only made it even more popular with moviegoers
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.
Nostalgia and the ache of moving on permeate every frame of The Ballad of Wallis Island, lending an air of precious sentimentality that threatens to slide into the saccharine. David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Feb. 2025 Call it a love letter as well, penned with undying admiration and possibly a soupçon of nostalgia but not an ounce of sentimentality, for a New Yawk that may as well be the Victorian era. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 29 Jan. 2025 The connection between Nafisi and Bahri is presented with complexity and without sentimentality, neither papering over political differences nor caricaturing Bahri as a generic revolutionary. Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 26 Jan. 2025 One Blues fan who got one before they were gone Thursday was Steven Weinmann, whose grandmother taught sign language in the St. Louis area years ago, which created some sentimentality for him. Jeremy Rutherford, The Athletic, 18 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for sentimentality 

Word History

First Known Use

1770, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of sentimentality was in 1770

Dictionary Entries Near sentimentality

Cite this Entry

“Sentimentality.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sentimentality. Accessed 7 Feb. 2025.

Kids Definition

sentimentality

noun
sen·​ti·​men·​tal·​i·​ty ˌsent-ə-ˌmen-ˈtal-ət-ē How to pronounce sentimentality (audio)
-mən-
plural sentimentalities
1
: the quality or state of being sentimental and especially overly sentimental
2
: a sentimental idea or its expression

More from Merriam-Webster on sentimentality

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