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sentimental value

British  

noun

  1. the value of an article in terms of its sentimental associations for a particular person

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

Some items once defined by their sentimental value can become just another asset in the financial tug of war during a divorce.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 20, 2026

Like many cultures, flowers carry sentimental value in her religion.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 2, 2026

What about items of sentimental value and actual material value?

From MarketWatch • Dec. 31, 2025

Home Office sources have pushed back against suggestions asylum seekers could have items of sentimental value, such as wedding rings, confiscated to pay for their accommodation.

From BBC • Nov. 17, 2025

Cadence displayed a disquieting desire to rid herself of all unnecessary possessions, even things of sentimental value, almost as if doing penance for past crimes.

From "We Were Liars" by E. Lockhart

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.