gratuitous
adjective
being without apparent reason, cause, or justification.
gratuitousness
-
a word derived from
gratuitous.
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.
That shift may be especially pronounced among younger viewers, who may have been turned off by “The Idol’s” gratuitousness.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 9, 2026
As a woman working in big-budget, mainstream film, Fennell’s boldness is mistaken for trashiness; her feminine gaze is confused with a typically masculine gratuitousness.
From Salon ● Feb. 23, 2026
I still can’t quite figure out why this happened, but maybe it’s that gratuitousness that makes the staging memorable.
From New York Times ● Dec. 5, 2022
But I discovered that I was one of the many readers who found, in the gratuitousness, something recognizable and true.
From The New Yorker ● Dec. 14, 2015
In other words, that which characterises social perfection is the gratuitousness of credit.
From Essays on Political Economy by Frédéric Bastiat
