gratuitous

adjective gra·tu·i·tous \ grə-ˈtü-ə-təs , -ˈtyü- \

Updated on: 15 Apr 2018

Definition of gratuitous

1 a : given unearned or without recompense

b : not involving a return benefit, compensation, or consideration

has gratuitous permission to pass over private land

c : costing nothing : free

The restaurant provided a gratuitous appetizer.

2 : not called for by the circumstances : unwarranted

gratuitous insolence

a gratuitous assumption

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gratuitously

adverb

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gratuitousness

noun

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Examples of gratuitous in a Sentence

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 of gratuitous from the Web

But the research is quite interesting, made even better by the inclusion of a gratuitous polar bear picture.

— chris lee, Ars Technica, "Porous silk fiber traps heat, hides a rabbit from IR camera," 4 Apr. 2018
But, with Trump’s gratuitous cruelty added to Tillerson’s missteps, Pompeo will get to Foggy Bottom with the prestige and clout of his office at its lowest ever.

— heather hurlburt, Daily Intelligencer, "The Mess Rex Tillerson Is Leaving Behind," 13 Mar. 2018
To bring it up so snarkily was an egregious lapse in coaching etiquette and, in point of fact, a largely gratuitous comment.

— tim sullivan, The Courier-Journal, "Cardinals stay cool in face of low blow from Pittsburgh coach Kevin Stallings | Tim Sullivan," 3 Jan. 2018
Still, these monsters present gratuitous examples of bad judgment, too.

— rachel raczka, chicagotribune.com, "TV rarely talks about sexual consent, but this show is an exception," 16 Feb. 2018
There's no room for gratuitous kindness at the Olympics, Bruno.

— justin kirkland, Esquire, "Johnny Weir's Hair Reminds Us of Something. Actually, Nine Things.," 13 Feb. 2018
This antagonism has never been more gratuitous than in Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris climate accord.

— william saletan, Slate Magazine, "Putin Wins Again," 5 June 2017
There is also the subplot of this being the first time the teams have met since Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski's late, gratuitous hit on Bills defensive back Tre'Davious White late in New England's 23-3 win at Buffalo Dec. 3.

— kyle hightower, courant.com, "Playoffs, Gronk Hit Backdrop Matchup Between Bills, Patriots," 23 Dec. 2017
This is a demanding film, and there is one grisly (though in no way gratuitous) twist near the end that will test the endurance even of those who appreciated what came before.

— christopher orr, The Atlantic, "Mother! Is a Stunning, Ferocious Head Trip," 15 Sep. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'gratuitous.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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 middle of 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, often used in such phrases as "a gratuitous insult" or to describe elements of a story that are not relevant to the plot.