What does gratuitous mean?
Gratuitous means Given freely; unearned..
Gratuitous
/ɡɹəˈtjuː.ɪt.əs/ · adjective
Meaning
Given freely; unearned..
Definitions by Sense
- Given freely; unearned.
- Unjustified or unnecessary; not called for by the circumstances.
- (in linguistic criticism) extraneous, interpolated.
Example Sentences
Also mentioned is the Rev. T. Stock, who has a tablet in St John's church [Gloucester] and "who with Raikes established the four original Sunday schools in this parish ... in 1780. From this small beginning sprung that gratuitous system of Christian instruction which has covered the face of England and Wales with schools."
gratuitous violence
Good to see you Mr. Bond. Things've been awfully dull 'round here. […] Now you're on this. I hope we're going to have some gratuitous sex and violence!
Synonyms for gratuitous
Antonyms for gratuitous
Related Words
Word Forms
- more gratuitous
- most gratuitous
Usage Notes
Choose a synonym only when it preserves the intended meaning, tone, and grammar of the full sentence.
Practice and Learn More
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a synonym for gratuitous?
Common synonyms include free, gratis, unjustified, groundless.
What is the opposite of gratuitous?
Possible antonyms include onerous.
How do you use gratuitous in a sentence?
Also mentioned is the Rev. T. Stock, who has a tablet in St John's church [Gloucester] and "who with Raikes established the four original Sunday schools in this parish ... in 1780. From this small beginning sprung that gratuitous system of Christian instruction which has covered the face of England and Wales with schools."
Sources & Attribution
FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0
Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.