1
as in free
not costing or charging anything
A local veterinary technician provides gratuitous services to the animal shelter twice a month.
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of gratuitous
This horrible, gratuitous writing.
—
Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 7 Oct. 2025
Reiner, unlike many other directors traveling in this genre, has the confidence and finesse not to gum it up with gratuitous special effects.
—Duane Byrge, HollywoodReporter, 25 Sep. 2025
These are musical resources, utterly gratuitous to the paraphrasable meaning of the sentence—and, more than that, opposed to its meaning.
—Garth Greenwell, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
Thanks to a prescient investment in producing a promotional video for the CTR model, the world would become acquainted with Ruf through scenes of gratuitous smokey drifts on the Nurburgring, captured from a helicopter no less.
—Christian Gilbertsen, Robb Report, 12 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gratuitous
Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 7 Oct. 2025
Reiner, unlike many other directors traveling in this genre, has the confidence and finesse not to gum it up with gratuitous special effects.
—Duane Byrge, HollywoodReporter, 25 Sep. 2025
These are musical resources, utterly gratuitous to the paraphrasable meaning of the sentence—and, more than that, opposed to its meaning.
—Garth Greenwell, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
Thanks to a prescient investment in producing a promotional video for the CTR model, the world would become acquainted with Ruf through scenes of gratuitous smokey drifts on the Nurburgring, captured from a helicopter no less.
—Christian Gilbertsen, Robb Report, 12 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gratuitous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gratuitous
Adjective
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The United States will continue to partner with the Government of Lebanon to make sure that Lebanon is free, prosperous and safe for all Lebanese people.—
Benjamin Weinthal,
FOXNews.com,
2 Nov. 2025
-
The Jays will likely look to make a pitching splash via a trade or free agency.—
Mitch Bannon,
New York Times,
2 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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For the monks or clerics, it is presented as a material substance, carried like a sack of gold on the demon’s back; the metaphors used are monetary or economic, as though the monks owe ordered syllables to God instead of the monetary tithe their vows of poverty render unnecessary.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
31 Oct. 2025
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The wrong one can create confusion, lead to notification overload, and add unnecessary complexity to the workday.—
Rebecca Lazar,
Miami Herald,
31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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This next phase of the process is optional, but both Tretyakova and Sokolowski recommend it for maximum odor reduction.—
Taylor Tobin,
Southern Living,
30 Oct. 2025
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Some of these technologies are essential for ensuring the proper functioning of the service or website and cannot be disabled, while others are optional but serve to enhance the user experience in various ways.—
Jazz Monroe,
Pitchfork,
29 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Como Parrot Cay is also an American Express Fine Hotels and Resorts property, which gets card members complimentary daily breakfast for two and a $100 resort credit, among other perks.—
Jacqui Gifford,
Travel + Leisure,
31 Oct. 2025
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Each engaged couple in attendance will receive a complimentary copy of the 2025 Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Wedding Planner, featuring wedding timelines, wedding inspiration, photography, editorials, checklists and a directory of local wedding businesses.—
Eric E. Harrison,
Arkansas Online,
29 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gratuitous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gratuitous. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.
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