sentimentality

American  

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

noun

plural

sentimentalities

1. the quality or state of being sentimental or excessively sentimental.

2. an instance of being sentimental.

3. a sentimental act, gesture, expression, etc.

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sentimentality British  

/ ˌsɛntɪmɛnˈtælɪtɪ /

noun

1. the state, quality, or an instance of being sentimental

2. an act, statement, etc, that is sentimental

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Usage

What does sentimentality mean? Sentimentality is the state or quality of being sentimental—expressing, appealing to, or being moved by sensitive or tender emotions, such as love, nostalgia, or pity. Sentiment, sentimentality, and other related words (like sentimentalism, which can be used as a synonym of sentimentality) are based on the sense of the word sentiment that refers to sensitive or tender emotions, sensitivity to such emotions, or appeal to such emotions. Such terms are especially used to imply that these emotions are exaggerated or overindulged. Sometimes, they imply that these emotions get in the way of thinking logically or being realistic. In this way, sentimentality often means being overly sentimental. People are sometimes criticized for sentimentality, as in Your sentimentality makes you see things through rose-colored glasses, instead of seeing what they’re really like.  These kinds of criticisms are especially common in the context of art. For example, a book or film may be criticized for its sentimentality in dealing with a historical event. This implies that it portrays the event in an idealized, simplistic, or nostalgic way instead of depicting it accurately and dealing with what really happened. Such works might also be described as melodramatic. When they’re tearfully or weakly emotional, they might be described as maudlin, mawkish, sappy, or weepy. Hallmark holiday movies are known for their sentimentality. Example: His sentimentality is what makes him keep all of his childhood toys.

Related Words

See sentiment.

Other Word Forms

• oversentimentality
  noun

Etymology

Origin of sentimentality

First recorded in 1760–70; sentimental + -ity

Explanation

Sentimentality is a quality of being overly, dramatically emotional — sad or loving or nostalgic. Your sentimentality on her eightieth birthday might make your down-to-earth grandmother roll her eyes. When your emotions go overboard, becoming a little theatrical or false, that's sentimentality. A person's sentimentality might come in handy if a job as a greeting card writer opens up, or a role in a community theater's production of "Les Misérables." Sentimentality comes from the adjective sentimental, which is rooted in the Medieval Latin sentimentum, "feeling, affection or opinion."

Example Sentences

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 and self-consciousness can be signs of decadence.

From New York Times • Dec. 6, 2022

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

From The New Yorker • Apr. 8, 2019

Sentimentality is a luxury afforded to those who don't have to butcher their own meat.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2018

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

From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson

Related Words

• melodrama
• nostalgia