sentimentality
noun
sen·ti·men·tal·i·ty
ˌsen-tə-ˌmen-ˈta-lə-tē 
-mən-
plural sentimentalities
1
: the quality or state of being sentimental especially to excess or in affectation
2
: a sentimental idea or its expression
Synonyms
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
Directed and co-written by Julio Quintana, The Long Game exploits easy sentimentality to gain political advantage.
—
Armond White, National Review, 17 Apr. 2024
Oh man, this might be one of my favorite episodes — just because of all the excitement, all the humor, all the different moments, the sentimentality, the new turns in Buck's relationship, all of it.
—Patrick Gomez, EW.com, 12 Apr. 2024
After an 8-4 loss to the Cubs to begin the Giants’ Cactus League schedule, though, Melvin wasn’t interested in sentimentalities.
—Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 24 Feb. 2024
Judging by motifs of the past, some years the commercials are downright weird, while other eras the bulk focused on heart wrenching sentimentality.
—Rob Ledonne, Rolling Stone, 12 Feb. 2024
At a time when most scripted television specializes in moral preening—trafficking in sentimentality, pandering to liberal do-gooderism, leaving us feeling better about ourselves and the world—Weisberg’s shows put you through a merciless psychological and spiritual wringer.
—Laura Kipnis, WIRED, 5 Dec. 2023
But here the tale being told is not wistful but dynamic, its nostalgia sharpened with hard-knock realities, and its sentimentality offset with humor, snap and darkness.
—Frank Rizzo, Variety, 22 Mar. 2024
The first episode sets you up for a nostalgic dive, but that romanticized sentimentality dies quickly thereafter, once the air attacks begins.
—Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 24 Jan. 2024
Perhaps most compellingly, though, Villeneuve’s film offers the rare onscreen portrait of a mother-son relationship that doesn’t reduce the bond to sentimentality.
—Los Angeles Times Staff, Los Angeles Times, 1 Mar. 2024
Armond White, National Review, 17 Apr. 2024
Oh man, this might be one of my favorite episodes — just because of all the excitement, all the humor, all the different moments, the sentimentality, the new turns in Buck's relationship, all of it.
—Patrick Gomez, EW.com, 12 Apr. 2024
After an 8-4 loss to the Cubs to begin the Giants’ Cactus League schedule, though, Melvin wasn’t interested in sentimentalities.
—Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 24 Feb. 2024
Judging by motifs of the past, some years the commercials are downright weird, while other eras the bulk focused on heart wrenching sentimentality.
—Rob Ledonne, Rolling Stone, 12 Feb. 2024
At a time when most scripted television specializes in moral preening—trafficking in sentimentality, pandering to liberal do-gooderism, leaving us feeling better about ourselves and the world—Weisberg’s shows put you through a merciless psychological and spiritual wringer.
—Laura Kipnis, WIRED, 5 Dec. 2023
But here the tale being told is not wistful but dynamic, its nostalgia sharpened with hard-knock realities, and its sentimentality offset with humor, snap and darkness.
—Frank Rizzo, Variety, 22 Mar. 2024
The first episode sets you up for a nostalgic dive, but that romanticized sentimentality dies quickly thereafter, once the air attacks begins.
—Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 24 Jan. 2024
Perhaps most compellingly, though, Villeneuve’s film offers the rare onscreen portrait of a mother-son relationship that doesn’t reduce the bond to sentimentality.
—Los Angeles Times Staff, Los Angeles Times, 1 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sentimentality.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near sentimentality
Cite this Entry
“Sentimentality.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sentimentality. Accessed 2 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
sentimentality
noun
sen·ti·men·tal·i·ty
ˌsent-ə-ˌmen-ˈtal-ət-ē
-mən-
plural sentimentalities
1
: the quality or state of being sentimental and especially overly sentimental
2
: a sentimental idea or its expression
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