Synonyms of gratuitous

gratuitous

adjective

grə-ˈtü-ə-təs 

1

as in free

not costing or charging anything

A local veterinary technician provides gratuitous services to the animal shelter twice a month.

Synonyms & Similar Words

• free
• optional
• complimentary
• costless
• gratis
• voluntary
• nominal
• on the house
• discretionary
• bestowed
• donated
• given
• uncompensated
• unpaid
• honorary
• pro bono
• freewill

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• expensive
• high
• costly
• paid
• dear

2

as in unnecessary

not needed by the circumstances or to accomplish an end

that violent scene was completely gratuitous and didn't need to be in the movie at all

Synonyms & Similar Words

• unnecessary
• extra
• needless
• optional
• unwarranted
• dispensable
• nonessential
• unessential
• irrelevant
• inessential
• redundant
• discretionary
• uncalled-for
• superfluous
• elective
• extraneous
• irrelative

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• necessary
• essential
• required
• important
• needed
• crucial
• vital
• needful
• indispensable
• urgent
• imperative
• all-important
• pressing

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of gratuitous

But even some of them might balk at its callow psychology and interminably dull plotting that no amount of gratuitous, unengaging violence or nudity can overcome. — Vikram Murthi, IndieWire, 14 Sep. 2026

Pivots into a black-and-white Brazilian telenovela, which Camilo tunes into nightly while on baby duty, feed into the film’s nesting-doll narrative on paper, but in practice make for annoyingly gratuitous flourishes. — Beatrice Loayza, Variety, 11 Sep. 2026

Last month, Vance hurled himself into an obscure debate over burrito prices to make a gratuitous swipe at a conservative Washington Post columnist’s weight. — Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 5 Sep. 2026

The same topics that would earn an adult novel praise as serious and important can be viewed as gratuitous or even irresponsible in Young Adult. — Rebecca Stafford, PEOPLE, 1 Sep. 2026

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