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Synonyms

gratuity

American  
[gruh-too-i-tee, -tyoo-] / grəˈtu ɪ ti, -ˈtyu- /

noun

plural

gratuities

  1. a gift of money, over and above payment due for service, as to a waiter or bellhop; tip.

  2. something given without claim or demand.

  3. British.

    1. a bonus granted to war veterans by the government.

    2. a bonus given military personnel on discharge or retirement.

gratuity British  
/ ɡrəˈtjuːɪtɪ /

noun

  1. a gift or reward, usually of money, for services rendered; tip

  2. something given without claim or obligation

  3. military a financial award granted for long or meritorious service

"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

Etymology

Origin of gratuity

1515–25; < Middle French gratuite, equivalent to Latin grātuī ( tus ) free + Middle French -te -ty 2

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 status quo may prevail, tip screens and all, but consumers may begin to decide whether they really want to tip 30% or if they will just skip the gratuity altogether, experts say.

From MarketWatch • Oct. 24, 2025

So a gratuity is money that’s given after an official act has been done by a public official.

From Slate • Sep. 6, 2024

Hope you always remember to leave a gratuity to your housekeepers.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 24, 2023

California’s gratuity law requires that nonmanagerial service staff receive their tips in full, and employers may not keep any portion of those tips.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 14, 2023

"Me, I just try to ignore their stressed-outedness and concentrate on the gratuity."

From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris

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.