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

Chu shared the latter sentiment, and offered advice for other productions seeking to do the same.

From Los Angeles Times

It is a sentiment shared over changes in the Budget to inheritance tax for farmers, which prompted protests in London on Tuesday.

From BBC

Was it possible, within reason, for Harris to overcome negative public perceptions about the direction of the country and negative sentiment towards the Biden administration?

From Salon

The resolution refers to “a documented increase in anti-immigrant and anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment in the United States,” stating that “these narratives divide communities, elevate risk factors, and compromise mental health and school engagement.”

From Los Angeles Times

"A great deal of the anti-bureaucracy sentiment is associated with right-wing populism, which often sputters between anarchism and fascism."

From Salon

Related Words

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

When To Use

What are other ways to say sentiment?

A sentiment is a mental feeling or tender emotion, or a thought proceeding from feeling or emotion. How is it different from feeling, emotion, and passion? Find out on Thesaurus.com.