gratuity
Americannoun
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gratuities
plural
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a gift of money, over and above payment due for service, as to a waiter or bellhop; tip.
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something given without claim or demand.
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British.
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a bonus granted to war veterans by the government.
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a bonus given military personnel on discharge or retirement.
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noun
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a gift or reward, usually of money, for services rendered; tip
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something given without claim or obligation
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military a financial award granted for long or meritorious service
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of gratuity
1515–25; < Middle French gratuite, equivalent to Latin grātuī ( tus ) free + Middle French -te -ty 2
Explanation
A gratuity is a tip that's given by a customer in exchange for services. You might leave a gratuity of several dollars when you eat lunch in a restaurant or when you get your hair cut. A gratuity is usually a relatively small amount of money, a percentage of the total cost of a purchase or service. A gratuity doesn't pay for the goods purchased — it's a separate reward to the person who did the work. For example, in the United States, waiters and waitresses typically expect a gratuity of between 18 and 20 percent of the total cost of a meal.
Vocabulary lists containing gratuity
100 SAT Words Beginning with "G"
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Ratios and Proportional Relationships
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Ratios and Proportional Relationships
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Shake Shack denied charging “no tip” fees after a viral TikTok appeared to show menu prices jumping when a customer declined a gratuity, blaming the error on a kiosk malfunction.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
A spokeswoman for Efling Union, the second-largest union in Iceland, says this has led to a number of restaurants in the country asking customers if they want to add a gratuity when they pay.
From BBC ● May 27, 2026
The status quo may prevail, tip screens and all, but consumers may begin to decide whether they really want to tip 30% or if they will just skip the gratuity altogether, experts say.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 24, 2025
Ototo, a sake bar in Echo Park, charges dine-in guests an “18% fair wage and operational fee” that is not a gratuity for staff.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2023
"Me, I just try to ignore their stressed-outedness and concentrate on the gratuity."
From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris
Luxury cruises are generally all-inclusive, with food, drinks and gratuities factored into the total price.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 18, 2026
Ridley-Thomas’ lawyers had already accused prosecutors of conflating bribery and gratuities.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 21, 2024
Tipping in the United States has roots in the post-Civil War era, when wealthy Americans traveling to Europe returned with the habit of giving gratuities to workers in service positions.
From Salon ● Nov. 12, 2024
In this term alone, they decided that gratuities are no longer a crime that can be prosecuted at the federal level.
From Slate ● Sep. 6, 2024
Another class of gifts which deserves some notice consists of gratuities to friends, well-wishers or dependents of the house, for benefits solicited or received.
From Medieval English Nunneries c. 1275 to 1535 by Eileen Power
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
