sentimental

sen‧ti‧ment‧al /ˌsentəˈmentl◂, ˌsentɪˈmentl◂/ BrE AmE adjective
1. someone who is sentimental is easily affected by emotions such as love, sympathy, sadness etc, often in a way that seems silly to other people:
She said a sentimental goodbye.
sentimental about
People can be very sentimental about animals.
2. based on or relating to your feelings rather than on practical reasons:
He wasn’t the sort of person who kept things for sentimental reasons.
a sentimental journey to the place of his birth
The rings that were stolen were of great sentimental value (=important because of your feelings or memories relating to them).
3. a story, film, book etc that is sentimental deals with emotions such as love and sadness, sometimes in a way that seems silly and insincere:
a sentimental story set in Russia
—sentimentally adverb
• • •
THESAURUS
■ causing strong feelings
▪ emotional causing people to have strong feelings – used especially about experiences, speeches, or subjects that people have strong feelings about: Returning home after a year in hospital was an emotional experience for Katy. | He gave an emotional speech at the funeral. | It was a very emotional moment. | Abortion rights is a highly emotional issue.
▪ emotive used about issues or language that make people have strong feelings: Fox hunting is a very emotive issue in Britain. | ‘Indoctrination’ is rather an emotive word.
▪ moving making you feel strong feelings of sadness or sympathy: Kelly’s book about her illness is deeply moving. | a moving film
▪ touching making you feel slightly emotional – used especially when someone does something that shows how much they care about another person: Your loyalty is very touching. | My son phoned me to wish me good luck, which was a touching gesture.
▪ poignant making you feel strong feelings of sadness or pity, especially when you remember something in the past: Her youthful expression is a poignant reminder of the passing of time.
▪ sentimental (also schmaltzy) informal dealing with emotions such as love and sadness in a way that seems silly: He found the film too sentimental. | a schmaltzy comedy

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

sentimental

sen·ti·men·tal [sentimental sentimentally] [ˌsentɪˈmentl] [ˌsentɪˈmentl] adjective
1. connected with your emotions, rather than reason
• He has a strong sentimental attachment to the place.
• She kept the letters for sentimental reasons.

• The ring wasn't worth very much but it had great sentimental value.

2. (often disapproving) producing emotions such as pity, romantic love or sadness, which may be too strong or not appropriate; feeling these emotions too much
• a slushy, sentimental love story
• Her book is honest without being sentimental.
• He's not the sort of man who gets sentimental about old friendships.
Opp: unsentimental
Derived Word: sentimentally
Example Bank:
• You, crying at a film! You must be getting sentimental in your old age!
• a rather sentimental gesture
• He's not the sort of man who gets sentimental about old friendships.
• His book is honest without being sentimental.

• The ring wasn't worth much but it had great sentimental value.

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 4th Edition

sentimental / ˌsen.tɪˈmen.t ə l / / -t̬əˈmen.t̬ ə l / adjective

C2 describes someone who is strongly influenced by emotional feelings, especially about happy memories of past events or relationships with other people, rather than by careful thought and judgment based on facts:

Why be sentimental about that old coat? There's no point in keeping it just because you were wearing it when you first met me.

It's a cheap ring but it has great sentimental value for me.

disapproving too strongly influenced by emotional feelings:

silly sentimental songs/stories

Collins Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

sentimental

[se̱ntɪme̱nt(ə)l]
1) ADJ-GRADED Someone or something that is sentimental feels or shows pity or love, sometimes to an extent that is considered exaggerated and foolish.
  I'm trying not to be sentimental about the past...
  It's a very sentimental play.
  Derived words:
  sentimentally ADV-GRADED usu ADV with v Childhood had less freedom and joy than we sentimentally attribute to it.
  sentimentality [se̱ntɪmentæ̱lɪti] N-UNCOUNT In this book there is no sentimentality.
2) ADJ: usu ADJ n Sentimental means relating to or involving feelings such as pity or love, especially for things in the past.
  Our paintings and photographs are of sentimental value only...
  Perhaps he has returned for sentimental reasons.

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

sentimental

sen·ti·men·tal /ˌsɛntəˈmɛntl̩/ adj [more ~; most ~]
1 : based on, showing, or resulting from feelings or emotions rather than reason or thought
• 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.
✦A sentimental journey is a visit to a place that was once very familiar and that brings back memories of the past.
• They took a sentimental journey to England, the country where they had met.
✦Something that has sentimental value is important to someone because of its connection with a happy time of life, a special person, etc.
• I keep this picture because it has sentimental value for me.
2 a : appealing to the emotions especially in an excessive way
• a sentimental melodrama
b : having or expressing strong feelings of love, sadness, etc., in a way that may seem foolish or excessive
• a sentimental person
• I tend to get very sentimental when I think about my childhood.