sentiment

[ sen-tuh-muhnt ]

noun

1. an attitude toward something; regard; opinion.
2. a mental feeling; emotion:

   a sentiment of pity.

3. refined or tender emotion; manifestation of the higher or more refined feelings.
4. exhibition or manifestation of feeling or sensibility, or appeal to the tender emotions, in literature, art, or music.
5. a thought influenced by or proceeding from feeling or emotion.
6. the thought or feeling intended to be conveyed by words, acts, or gestures as distinguished from the words, acts, or gestures themselves.

sentiment

/ ˈsɛntɪmənt /

noun

1. susceptibility to tender, delicate, or romantic emotion

   she has too much sentiment to be successful

2. often plural a thought, opinion, or attitude
3. exaggerated, overindulged, or mawkish feeling or emotion
4. an expression of response to deep feeling, esp in art or literature
5. a feeling, emotion, or awareness

   a sentiment of pity

6. a mental attitude modified or determined by feeling

   there is a strong revolutionary sentiment in his country

7. a feeling conveyed, or intended to be conveyed, in words

Other Words From

• senti·ment·less adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of sentiment¹

First recorded in 1325–75; from Medieval Latin sentīmentum, equivalent to Latin sentī(re) “to feel” + -mentum -ment; replacing Middle English sentement, from Old French, from Medieval Latin, as above

Word History and Origins

Origin of sentiment¹

C17: from Medieval Latin sentīmentum, from Latin sentīre to feel

Synonym Study

See opinion. Sentiment, sentimentality are terms for sensitiveness to emotional feelings. Sentiment is a sincere and refined sensibility, a tendency to be influenced by emotion rather than reason or fact: to appeal to sentiment. Sentimentality implies affected, excessive, sometimes mawkish sentiment: weak sentimentality.

Example Sentences

It hired Kellyanne Conway’s Washington firm, The Polling Company, to gauge nationwide sentiment about immigrants.

From Salon

The underlying sentiment that people should debate in good faith sounds nice but is ultimately empty.

From Salon

The overall sentiment was that the move would lead to the arrival of more Zimbabweans.

From BBC

The common sentiment among the high-volume information consumers and the chattering class is that low-information voters are a major reason Trump won.

From Salon

Moreover, polls suggest his anti-immigrant sentiment is broadly shared—how many suburban pols will want to proclaim their sanctuary city status this time around?

From Slate

Related Words

• attitude
• bias
• feeling
• idea
• opinion
• passion
• position
• tendency
• thought
• view