gratuitous Definition
gra·tui·tous (grə to̵̅o̅′i təs, -tyo̵̅o̅′-)
adjective
- given or received without charge or payment; free
- granted without obligation
- without cause or justification; uncalled-for
Etymology: L gratuitus < gratus: see grace
gratuitous Related Forms
gra·tu′i·tously adverb
gratuitous Synonyms
gratuitous
modif.
Voluntary
for nothing, gratis, complimentary; see free 4.Uncalled-for
needless, unwarranted, unessential; see unnecessary.
gratuitous Usage Examples
Modifying Another Word
- totally: It is totally gratuitous to compare someone to a fictitious Jewish villain from 1837.
- entirely: The support Jackson et al. are giving the Butcher of Baghdad is entirely gratuitous.
- completely: He even gets a completely gratuitous shower cuddle scene with Grace.
- never: Its erotic content is created by means of the montage of images and sounds and is never gratuitous.
- not: The Greens believe the only criterion for taking products off the market should be one of safety, not gratuitous standardization.
- wholly: And yet, perhaps precisely because it was wholly gratuitous, and went unpunished, it felt peculiarly wrong.
Modifies a noun
- nudity: I'm willing to bet no gratuitous nudity either?
- insult: The audience, carefully selected to be hostile, offered a series of gratuitous insults to the Prime Minister.
- cruelty: No case hardened child care professional can fail to be shocked by the gratuitous cruelty inflicted on Victoria Climbie.
- violence: There were many stories afterward of what appeared to be gratuitous police violence.
- alert: There speaks someone who's never read the Izabella thread... Gratuitous plug alert!
- plug: Gratuitous plug: The Castle is an excellent hotel!
Used with adjective complement
Browse dictionary entries near gratuitous
- ‹ Grattan
- ‹ gratitude
- ‹ gratis
- ‹ grating
- ‹ gratinéed
- ‹ gratin
- ‹ gratifying
- ‹ gratify
- ‹ gratification
- ‹ Gratian
- gratuitous contract ›
- gratuity ›
- gratulate ›
- Graubünden ›
- graupel ›
- Graustarkian ›
- gravamen ›
- grave ›
- grave accent ›
- gravedigger ›

