gratuitous

American  

[gruh-too-i-tuhs, -tyoo-] / grəˈtu ɪ təs, -ˈtyu- /

adjective

1. 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

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

3. Law. given without receiving any return value.

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gratuitous British  

/ ɡrəˈtjuːɪtəs /

adjective

1. given or received without payment or obligation

2. without cause; unjustified

3. law given or made without receiving any value in return

   a gratuitous agreement

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Other Word Forms

• gratuitously adverb
• gratuitousness noun
• nongratuitous adjective
• nongratuitousness noun
• ungratuitous adjective
• ungratuitousness noun

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 fortuitous ); -ous

Example Sentences

I didn’t ask it to, but didn’t mind this gratuitous edit.

From The Wall Street Journal

Ms. King seeds her love story with engaging dialogue and literary references that are never pretentious or gratuitous.

From The Wall Street Journal

“Because, respectfully, I cannot abide our repeated, gratuitous, and harmful interference with cases pending in the lower courts while lives hang in the balance, I dissent.”

From Los Angeles Times

Wilson's commitment to honesty - sometimes shocking, but never gratuitous - remains intact in Picture Imperfect.

From BBC

“Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight” doesn’t contain the gratuitous violence you often see in films about racism.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• baseless
• groundless
• needless
• superfluous
• unfounded
• unjustified
• unprovoked
• unwarranted
• wanton