sentimentalism

American  

[sen-tuh-men-tl-iz-uhm] / ˌsɛn təˈmɛn tlˌɪz əm /

noun

1. sentimental tendency or character; predominance of sentiment over reason.

2. weak emotionalism; excessive indulgence in sentiment.

3. a display of sentimentality.

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Usage

What does sentimentalism mean? Sentimentalism 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.The word sentimentality can be used to mean the same thing.Sentimentalism, sentimentality, and sentimental 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, sentimentalism often means the tendency of being overly sentimental.People are sometimes criticized for sentimentalism, as in Your sentimentalism 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 sentimentalism 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 sentimentalism.Someone who’s prone to sentimentalism can be called a sentimentalist.Example: His sentimentalism is what makes him keep all of his childhood toys.

Other Word Forms

• oversentimentalism noun

Etymology

Origin of sentimentalism

First recorded in 1810–20; sentimental + -ism

Example Sentences

“But he, Robert Weaver and Alan Cober were the first wave of breaking through this realism and sentimentalism with an expressionistic intensity and impressionistic fluidity.”

From New York Times

Rather than fuzzy-wuzzy sentimentalism, that liminal space between objective reality and the netherworld is presented as a natural, if exceedingly rare, fact of life.

From Washington Post

Fear for the future of the country percolates up from the sea of sentimentalism in “Uncle Tom’s Cabin.”

From New York Times

In other words, it's the "dismantling of sentimentalism," which Knott said is "good news."

From Salon

A coming-of-age drama about a tough kid from a rough neighborhood, “The City of Wild Beasts” is devoid of both the sensationalism and the sentimentalism that usually afflict the “slumdog” genre.

From New York Times