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gratuitous

adjective

gra·​tu·​i·​tous grə-ˈtü-ə-təs How to pronounce gratuitous (audio)
-ˈtyü-
1
: not called for by the circumstances : not necessary, appropriate, or justified : unwarranted
a gratuitous insult
a gratuitous assumption
a movie criticized for gratuitous violence
2
a
: given unearned or without recompense
We mistake the gratuitous blessings of Heaven for the fruits of our own industry. Roger L'Estrange
b
: costing nothing : free
It was printed in France at the author's expense, for gratuitous distribution to educators and others. Current Biography
c
law : not involving a return benefit, compensation, or consideration
has gratuitous permission to pass over private land
gratuitously adverb
gratuitousness noun

Did you know?

These Gratuitous Facts Are Free

Like gratitude, grace, and congratulate, gratuitous is a descendant of the Latin word gratus, which means "pleasing" or "grateful." When gratuitous was first used in the 17th century, it meant "free" or "given without return benefit or compensation." The extended meaning "done without good reason" or "unwarranted" came about just a few decades later, perhaps from the belief held by some people that one should not give something without getting something in return. Today, that extended meaning is the more common sense, employed, for example, when graphic cruelty depicted in a work of fiction is described as "gratuitous violence," or when unkind words better left unsaid are described as "a gratuitous insult."

Synonyms

Example Sentences

The film was criticized for its gratuitous violence. they will throw in a gratuitous box of chocolates when you spend $30 or more in their shop
Recent Examples on the Web Defending art or culture for its own sake may seem trivial, even gratuitous, amid our present crises, but our crises have flowered in the soil of its trivialization. Greg Jackson, Harper's Magazine, 20 July 2021 For the survivors, the thought that the killings are entirely gratuitous is unbearable. Masha Gessen, The New Yorker, 1 Aug. 2022 But without so much gratuitous small talk, lackluster punchlines and ineffective jabs, whatever has survived the cut is much more impactful than before. Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2022 Following on from the introduction of a butt-naked Soldier Boy, the show's official Twitter account is now teasing an exceptionally graphic superhero orgy scene which will take the series to gratuitous heights, even by its own lurid standards. Philip Ellis, Men's Health, 23 June 2022 Where the documentary falls flat is in its gratuitous use of footage of recent police murders. Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 June 2022 There is shooting, martial arts and torture, gratuitous and otherwise. John Anderson, WSJ, 21 July 2022 From the start, Persuasion lays bare its conviction that this particular Austen heroine makes almost too much sense for our own moment, with our hyper-ironic personas and gratuitous fits of self-awareness. K. Austin Collins, Rolling Stone, 16 July 2022 Throughout the show's eight seasons, the depiction of Thrones' female characters became a core talking point among viewers — particularly what some felt to be gratuitous violence and the undermining of various women's journeys to power. Nick Romano, EW.com, 13 July 2022 See More

Word History

Etymology

Latin gratuitus, from gratus grateful

First Known Use

1617, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Time Traveler
The first known use of gratuitous was in 1617

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