gratuitous
Americanadjective
-
being without apparent reason, cause, or justification.
It looks to me like a baseless and gratuitous insult—like you have a huge chip on your shoulder.
- Synonyms:
- gratis, groundless, unreasonable, redundant, superfluous, unnecessary
-
given, done, bestowed, or obtained without charge or payment; free; complimentary.
-
Law. given without receiving any return value.
adjective
-
given or received without payment or obligation
-
without cause; unjustified
-
law given or made without receiving any value in return
a gratuitous agreement
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of gratuitous
First recorded in 1650–60; from Latin grātuītus “free, freely given, spontaneous,” derivative of grātus “thankful, received with thanks” (for formation cf. fortuitous); see -ous
Explanation
Gratuitous means "without cause" or "unnecessary." Telling ridiculous jokes at a somber occasion would be a display of gratuitous humor. Gratuitous can be used to refer to something that’s unnecessary and mildly annoying. If a friend frequently gives you fashion tips, even though you’ve expressed no interest in receiving them, you’d be correct in labeling her advice as gratuitous. In addition, gratuitous can be used to indicate that something is not only unnecessary but also inappropriate. Some people claim that some films and video games contain gratuitous violence — that is, violence that is excessive and offensive.
Vocabulary lists containing gratuitous
300 Most Difficult "SAT" Words
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Advanced English Words
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Grade 12, List 1
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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.
Gold is the color of false idolatry, the material of gratuitous wealth, a hallmark of authoritarian style, and a metaphor for the folly of prioritizing personal enrichment and glory over everything else.
From Slate • Jun. 11, 2026
But “Is God Is” refuses to gussy up its allegories with too many special effects or gratuitous gore.
From Salon • May 19, 2026
With “A Void,” Perec demonstrates the inventive power that emerges from what can seem like gratuitous, even perverse, limitations.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 11, 2026
He said their occupation of the guardhouse would have sufficed in causing disruption and the damage they caused was "gratuitous" and for "performance purposes only".
From BBC • Mar. 4, 2026
It seemed not only gratuitous, but rather shameful given the circumstances.
From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt
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.
