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
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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
Goosed by a couple gratuitous interludes of gory amateur surgery, the movie is eventful, with a high body count.
—
Dennis Harvey, Variety, 11 Apr. 2025
Centering the action with gore and gratuitous violence up front gave it an identity that was then doubled down upon in every subsequent release .
—Diego Argüello, Rolling Stone, 22 Mar. 2025
Others complain that the second season has too much gratuitous violence and nudity.
—Erik Kain, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025
At its best, often spiked by gleefully gratuitous gore, this very tall Texas tale trades in a kind of snarky absurdism likely to leave suitably jaded viewers in stitches.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 4 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gratuitous
Dennis Harvey, Variety, 11 Apr. 2025
Centering the action with gore and gratuitous violence up front gave it an identity that was then doubled down upon in every subsequent release .
—Diego Argüello, Rolling Stone, 22 Mar. 2025
Others complain that the second season has too much gratuitous violence and nudity.
—Erik Kain, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025
At its best, often spiked by gleefully gratuitous gore, this very tall Texas tale trades in a kind of snarky absurdism likely to leave suitably jaded viewers in stitches.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 4 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gratuitous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gratuitous
Adjective
-
So the fact that Xbox games are now free to land on any platform might be a harbinger of things to come, and this could give Microsoft a foundational head-start in the race toward a different future.—
Mitch Wallace,
Forbes.com,
14 May 2025
-
There’s no guarantee the barrier plans will keep the carp from lakes, which already have some freshwater common European carp, also an invasive species, swimming free.—
Charles Selle,
Chicago Tribune,
14 May 2025
Adjective
-
And unlike species that evolved to shed unnecessary traits, the Greenland shark has kept its ability to see intact, even if it is modified for its shadowy world.—
Melissa Cristina Márquez,
Forbes.com,
14 May 2025
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DeepMind reports that the AI created a change to the chip's Verilog hardware description language that dropped unnecessary bits to increase efficiency.—
Scharon Harding – May 14,
ArsTechnica,
14 May 2025
Adjective
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As mentioned, the Bellbird comes with a lot of optional upgrades and there are too many to list in full.—
Adam Williams
May 17,
New Atlas,
17 May 2025
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Brand building, trust and positioning are essential, not optional.—
Raja Walia,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2025
Adjective
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Clients begin with a complimentary debt evaluation, allowing professionals to assess their debt, financial goals, and other available options.—
Jason Phillips,
USA Today,
17 May 2025
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In the meantime, Fashion Island is hosting a Chandon Garden pop-up, offering complimentary sparkling wine tastings every weekend until May 25.—
Ryma Chikhoune,
Footwear News,
16 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gratuitous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gratuitous. Accessed 23 May. 2025.
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