SENTIMENTALISM Synonyms: 24 Similar and Opposite Words

sentimentalism

noun

ˌsen-tə-ˈmen-tə-ˌli-zəm

Definition of sentimentalism

as in sentimentality

the state or quality of having an excess of tender feelings (as of love, nostalgia, or compassion) the novel's sentimentalism bored me

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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.

Recent Examples of sentimentalism King’s honeyed voiceover begins the film with a kind of sentimentalism about childhood and its innocence. — Lisa Kennedy, Variety, 4 July 2024 While leaders of the nature-study movement warned against sentimentalism and make-believe, young readers were delighted by such tales. — Jessica George, JSTOR Daily, 25 June 2025 In its commitment to a particular kind of sentimentalism, No Hard Feelings doesn’t fully lean into the raunchiness some might expect from its trailer or early buzz. — Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 June 2023 The Academy historically goes for sentimentalism. — Joe Reid, Vulture, 4 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for sentimentalism

Recent Examples of Synonyms for sentimentalism

sentimentality

Noun

More likely, though, Brown said Jefferson’s stockpiling of gloves reflects his sentimentality toward his wife and possibly other women in the family.

— Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 3 July 2026
And what ensues is an hour and a half of aimless, frictionless, inert, and cloying sentimentality without purpose.

— Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 3 July 2026

Definition of sentimentality

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sentimental

sentimentalism

sentimentalist

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“Sentimentalism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sentimentalism. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of sentimentalism

noun

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