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.
Many helping to keep the firefighters fed felt they owed them a debt of gratitude.
From Barron's ● Jul. 31, 2026
His wisdom wasn’t his gratitude for me; he didn’t know me.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
Broadcaster, writer and former politician Gyles Brandreth said the funeral was "filled with a mixture of sadness but laughter and gratitude as well because we were celebrating a great actress".
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
He said the moment was filled with "immense emotion" as he expressed "infinite gratitude" and "unwavering support" to their families.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
“Oh, yes,” Handsome declared, now getting carried away with his show of gratitude.
From "The Very, Very Far North" by Dan Bar-el
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.
