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

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

The spinning isn’t gratuitous, as the cars turn and drift with the flow of the track, so the movement feels aligned with direction. — Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026

The reporting has been gratuitous and inhumane, no one deserves this hounding. — Nancy Doyle, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026

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