gratitude
Americannoun
-
gratitude
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of gratitude
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Medieval Latin grātitūdin-, stem of grātitūdō “thankfulness,” equivalent to grāt(us) “pleasing” + -i- + -tūdō -tude
Compare meaning
How does gratitude compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
Gratitude means thanks and appreciation. It's the warm feeling you get when someone helps you figure out a great solution to a difficult problem that you've been trying to solve. Though they both recognize the instrumental roles others have played in our lives, gratitude is different from indebtedness. Gratitude, which rhymes with "attitude," comes from the Latin word gratus, which means "thankful, pleasing." When you feel gratitude, you're pleased by what someone did for you and also pleased by the results. Unlike indebtedness, you're not anxious about having to pay it back. But it's still great to tell the recipient of your gratitude how much they mean to you.
Vocabulary lists containing gratitude
Veterans Day Vocabulary
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Sojourner Truth's "Ain't I A Woman?" (1863)
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November Words
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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.
Lee Pitcher, MP for Doncaster East and the Isle of Axholme, expressed his gratitude to emergency services for their response.
From BBC ● Oct. 11, 2026
More than 160 comments were left on the post, describing the mission and expressing condolences for Seibert and gratitude for the effort to find him.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2026
"She handled this fame with such grace and love and gratitude," she added.
From Barron's ● Sep. 28, 2026
Asked about the show being relatively smaller and unknown to some audiences, the cast and creators reflected backstage with gratitude for the grassroots efforts to promote the show through word-of-mouth early on.
From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026
The promised letter of thanks from Mr. Collins arrived on Tuesday, addressed to their father, and written with all the solemnity of gratitude which a twelvemonth’s abode in the family might have prompted.
From "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen
Definitions 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.
