gratuitous

adjective

grə-ˈtü-ə-təs How to pronounce gratuitous (audio)
Definition of gratuitousnext
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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of gratuitous The requisite post-credits tag could not feel more gratuitous or useless. — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 28 July 2026 Giger also left behind a far slimier legacy, one long criticized for its gratuitous victimization of women. — Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 15 July 2026 The gratuitous act obliterates both his self-image and his indecision, sparking not just a split with Irène but a total rupture with the social fabric of his present life. — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 9 July 2026 Like any good Sheridan show, gratuitous violence and clichéd wisdom are doled out with abandon, the spoonful of sugar to help the medicine—in this case ranching gone awry—go down. — Alex Jhamb Burns, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for gratuitous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gratuitous
  1. free
  2. unnecessary
  3. optional
  4. complimentary
  5. costless
Adjective
  • With a bogey-free 66 on Saturday, Scheffler moved into a tie for third heading into the final round at East Lake, three shots behind leader Viktor Hovland.
    — Gabby Herzig, New York Times, 30 Aug. 2026
  • But markets are showing some signs of fatigue, after absorbing the flood of debt in such a short time, S&P Global warned last month, pointing out that hyperscalers are paying a higher premium compared with yields on risk-free bonds.
    — Jason Ma, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of free
Adjective
  • Even with an unnecessary roughness penalty in the fourth, Shelley made his reps count, making five tackles and breaking up a deep pass from Rams quarterback Ty Simpson intended for Tyler Scott.
    — Joaquin Ruiz, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026
  • That is true, but making costly and unnecessary wars harder to start belongs in the credit column, not the debit one.
    — JENNIFER KAVANAGH, Foreign Affairs, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of unnecessary
Adjective
  • Somewhere in South Carolina, a child too young for a second dose of the measles vaccine contracted the virus from someone whose parents had decided, for reasons unrelated to medicine, that vaccination was optional.
    — A.J. Russo, Baltimore Sun, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Gay men with a penchant for clothing-optional environments will want to check it out; others should look elsewhere.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of optional
Adjective
  • American Airlines recently announced new complimentary in-flight snack options, including chocolate chip cookies and salty snacks.
    — Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Start your day with complimentary granola and coffee and end your day at happy hour.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of complimentary
Adjective
  • Except that by its very description, the Act is forcing something quite a bit worse than costless accession of what’s valuable.
    — John Tamny, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026
Definition of costless

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gratuities
gratuitous
gratuity
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Cite this Entry

“Gratuitous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gratuitous. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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