sentimental
adjective
sen·ti·men·tal
ˌsen-tə-ˈmen-tᵊl 
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
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
My most recent trip to Scotland was a sentimental journey of sorts – a nostalgic nod to my first visit as a 20-something just beginning her love affair with the British Isles in general and Scotland in particular.
—
Patti Nickell, Boston Herald, 15 Feb. 2026
For those with small closets, consider hanging all your special-occasion and sentimental items in a separate one altogether, such as an underused guest closet.
—Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Feb. 2026
So that September night in 1972, our sentimental journey was the final gala event before the Strand Theater closed down forever – and it was torn down the following month.
—Jody Mamone, Hartford Courant, 11 Feb. 2026
In the film from Gulfstream Pictures, which is currently in production in New Orleans, Iacono will play the role of sentimental, comic wingman Colin Davis.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sentimental
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.
Patti Nickell, Boston Herald, 15 Feb. 2026
For those with small closets, consider hanging all your special-occasion and sentimental items in a separate one altogether, such as an underused guest closet.
—Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Feb. 2026
So that September night in 1972, our sentimental journey was the final gala event before the Strand Theater closed down forever – and it was torn down the following month.
—Jody Mamone, Hartford Courant, 11 Feb. 2026
In the film from Gulfstream Pictures, which is currently in production in New Orleans, Iacono will play the role of sentimental, comic wingman Colin Davis.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sentimental
Cite this Entry
“Sentimental.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sentimental. Accessed 18 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
sentimental
adjective
sen·ti·men·tal
ˌsent-ə-ˈment-ᵊl
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
adverb
-ᵊl-ē
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
