gratuitous

[ gruh-too-i-tuhs, -tyoo- ]

/ grəˈtu ɪ təs, -ˈtyu- /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR gratuitous ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

given, done, bestowed, or obtained without charge or payment; free; voluntary.

being without apparent reason, cause, or justification: a gratuitous insult.

Law. given without receiving any return value.

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

gratis, gratitude, grattage, grattan, grattoir, gratuitous, gratuitous contract, gratuity, gratulant, gratulate, gratulation

Origin of gratuitous

1650–60; < Latin grātuītus free, freely given, spontaneous, derivative of grātus thankful, received with thanks (for formation cf. fortuitous); see -ous

SYNONYMS FOR gratuitous

2 unnecessary, superfluous, redundant; causeless, unreasonable, groundless, unprovoked, unjustified.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR gratuitous ON THESAURUS.COM

Related forms

gra·tu·i·tous·ly, adverbgra·tu·i·tous·ness, nounnon·gra·tu·i·tous, adjectivenon·gra·tu·i·tous·ly, adverb

non·gra·tu·i·tous·ness, nounun·gra·tu·i·tous, adjectiveun·gra·tu·i·tous·ly, adverbun·gra·tu·i·tous·ness, noun

Can be confused

gracious gratis gratuitous

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for gratuitous

And, in a gratuitous show of homicidal prowess, Moses kills two assassins he meets while wandering in the desert of Sinai.
Meet Moses the Swashbuckling Israelite|James Romm|December 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But God forbid a TV series premieres pushing out gratuitous emotion and gratuitous feeling.
‘Red Band Society’ Is Really Freaking Sad (And May Be TV’s Best New Drama)|Kevin Fallon|September 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The Israeli soldiers, my age, sat impassively on a bench while babies cried and a man complained about gratuitous humiliation.
Gaza, You're No Good For My Marriage|Josh Robin|August 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
His story is largely devoid of wanton violence and gratuitous sex.
What Would You Do if the World Was Over?|William O’Connor|August 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST

There was justified violence—going after al Qaeda—and then there was gratuitous violence.
Ahmed Abu Khattala Arrest Spoils GOP’s Benghazi Party|Michael Tomasky|June 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
She also prepared for gratuitous distribution a large number of four-page leaflets on the most common farm pests.
Woman in Science|John Augustine Zahm
Never did a periodical receive such an amount of gratuitous advertising.
The Americanization of Edward Bok|Edward William Bok
The convicts have not broken out; but an epidemic of gratuitous mendacity has done so, it appears.
Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 99, July 5, 1890|Various
France rejected entirely the principle of gratuitous transit.
The Development of Rates of Postage|A. D. Smith
When coinage is free and gratuitous, these two values are the same.
The Principles of Economics|Frank A. Fetter

British Dictionary definitions for gratuitous

gratuitous

/ (ɡrəˈtjuːɪtəs) /

adjective

given or received without payment or obligation

without cause; unjustified

law given or made without receiving any value in returna gratuitous agreement

Derived Forms

gratuitously, adverbgratuitousness, noun

Word Origin for gratuitous

C17: from Latin grātuītus, from grātia favour

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012