gratuitously
Americanadverb
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without apparent reason, cause, or justification.
The chase scene seems gratuitously thrown in for the sake of an action sequence.
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without charge or payment; freely or voluntarily.
Love is a spontaneous gift that cannot be earned—it is gratuitously given.
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Law. without receiving any return value.
The plaintiff must show that they will be forced to either hire someone to perform such household services or have someone perform them gratuitously.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of gratuitously
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.
The rest of it – her status as “the enemy,” reviews that read to her as gratuitously nasty – doesn’t trouble her anymore.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 31, 2026
Turns out the impetuous billionaire had gratuitously insulted Kelly after the senator had posted a long thread on X about his recent trip to Ukraine.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 16, 2025
Another judge ruled that Ms Peggie was allowed to refer to Dr Upton as a man throughout the tribunal, as long as it was not done "offensively" or "gratuitously".
From BBC ● Feb. 3, 2025
You sort of get the sense that Dominion was really pissed off about having its reputation gratuitously smeared by some of television’s least prudent commentators.
From Slate ● Apr. 16, 2023
“I came to tell you like you said. I—I got ’em at Ginsberg’s,” she added gratuitously.
From "Go Set a Watchman: A Novel" by Harper Lee
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.
