sentiment

1. N-VAR : supp N

A sentiment that people have is an attitude which is based on their thoughts and feelings.

• Public sentiment rapidly turned anti-American.     
• nationalist sentiments that threaten to split the country. 
• =  feeling   

2. N-COUNT : usu with supp

A sentiment is an idea or feeling that someone expresses in words.

• I must agree with the sentiments expressed by John Prescott.     
• The Foreign Secretary echoed this sentiment.

3. N-UNCOUNT

Sentiment is feelings such as pity or love, especially for things in the past, and may be considered exaggerated and foolish.

• Laura kept that letter out of sentiment.
  

........... Cobuild

[Am-Heritage] 

1. A thought, view, or attitude, especially one based mainly on emotion instead of reason: An anti-American sentiment swept through the country. 

[Collins Essential]  

1. a mental attitude based on a mixture of thoughts and feelings: anti-American sentiment.

[Am-Heritage] 

3. The emotional import of a passage as distinct from its form of expression.

[Collins Essential]  

2. (often pl) a thought, opinion, or attitude expressed in words: his sentiments were echoed by subsequent speakers

.......... http://www.thefreedictionary.com/sentiment