Thesaurus.com
Dictionary.com
Definitions

sentimentality

[sen-tuh-men-tal-i-tee] / ˌsɛn tə mɛnˈtæl ɪ ti /


NOUN
extravagant in emotion
Synonyms


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Sentimentality refers to the emotional value an item holds in the present, often because it symbolises a relationship, achievement, or important moment to us.

From BBC • Sep. 15, 2025

Sentimentality “is an indulgence in emotion,” he said in an interview.

From The New Yorker • Apr. 8, 2019

Sentimentality about children’s cuteness, he wrote, “always leads to callousness and cruelty” because it comes from an impulse to see children’s interior lives as “abstract and unreal.”

From Slate • Feb. 16, 2018

Sentimentality and fussy restoration are rarely in the tool kit.

From New York Times • Nov. 12, 2015

Sentimentality about Lee's story grew even as the harder truths of the book took no root.

From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson




Vocabulary lists containing sentimentality


Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Look it up. Learn it forever.

Remember "sentimentality" for good with VocabTrainer. Expand your vocabulary effortlessly with personalized learning tools that adapt to your goals.

Take me to Vocabulary.com