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
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
In the end, Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber had no choice but to suspend Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi and Jordi Alba for their next MLS match after neither failed to show up for the 2025 MLS All-Star Game, in accordance with a longstanding league rule meant to prevent gratuitous no-shows.
—Ian Nicholas Quillen, Forbes.com, 26 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for gratuitous
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
In the end, Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber had no choice but to suspend Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi and Jordi Alba for their next MLS match after neither failed to show up for the 2025 MLS All-Star Game, in accordance with a longstanding league rule meant to prevent gratuitous no-shows.
—Ian Nicholas Quillen, Forbes.com, 26 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for gratuitous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gratuitous
Adjective
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Head Start provides free child care and early education to kids living in poverty, while also serving as a coordinator of services, like health care and food access, to their families.—
Beki San Martin,
Freep.com,
27 Oct. 2025
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Gigantic magnetic bubbles also break free from the Sun as the solar magnetic field reconfigures, launching up to fifty billion tons of plasma into interplanetary space.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Tillery also advises her clients to skip overpacking and go with carry-on luggage to avoid unnecessary baggage fees or inconveniences if there are flight changes.—
Essence,
Essence,
24 Oct. 2025
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The biggest mistake that girls make when going into the interview portion of the pageant, Alverson says, is wasting their interview time on unnecessary, pandering statements.—
Tabitha Parent,
PEOPLE,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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But our skin tones aren’t optional features.—
Kimberly Wilson,
Essence,
22 Oct. 2025
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An optional vintage car tour through the historic center of Turin and a lunch at the storied Ristorante del Cambio will be offered the next day.—
Luisa Zargani,
Footwear News,
22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Throughout the evening, Kozlin brought over several bottles of wine and offered the table complimentary Prosecco and food gifts — small touches the staff often adds for VIPs to make the night feel special.—
Jordan Greene,
PEOPLE,
24 Oct. 2025
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After the formal tour, the group was offered complimentary wraps for lunch in a meeting room.—
Kaitlyn Tiffany,
The Atlantic,
22 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gratuitous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gratuitous. Accessed 27 Oct. 2025.
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