gratuitous
Use Gratuitous in a sentence
ɪ adjective
1.
given, done, bestowed, or obtained without charge or payment; free; voluntary.
2.
being without apparent reason, cause, or justification: a gratuitous insult.
3.
Law. given without receiving any return value.
Origin:
1650–60; < Latin grātuītus free, freely given, spontaneous, derivative of grātus thankful, received with thanks (for formation cf. fortuitous); see -ous
1650–60; < Latin grātuītus free, freely given, spontaneous, derivative of grātus thankful, received with thanks (for formation cf. fortuitous); see -ous
Related forms
gra·tu·i·tous·ly, adverb
gra·tu·i·tous·ness, noun
non·gra·tu·i·tous, adjective
non·gra·tu·i·tous·ly, adverb
non·gra·tu·i·tous·ness, noun
Synonyms
2. unnecessary, superfluous, redundant; causeless, unreasonable, groundless, unprovoked, unjustified.
2. unnecessary, superfluous, redundant; causeless, unreasonable, groundless, unprovoked, unjustified.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
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Link To gratuitous
00:10
Gratuitous
is always a great word to know.
So is callithumpian. Does it mean:
| a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes. |
| an extraordinary or unusual thing, person, or event; an exceptional example or instance. |
Collins
World English Dictionary
gratuitous (ɡrəˈtjuːɪtəs) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —adj | |
| 1. | given or received without payment or obligation |
| 2. | without cause; unjustified |
| 3. | law given or made without receiving any value in return: a gratuitous agreement |
| [C17: from Latin grātuītus, from grātia favour] | |
| gra'tuitously | |
| —adv | |
| gra'tuitousness | |
| —n | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
gratuitous
1656, "freely bestowed," from L. gratuitus "free, spontaneous, voluntary," from gratia "favor." Sense of "uncalled for, done without good reason" is first recorded 1691.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Cite This Source
Example sentences
Pardon the gratuitous links, but each one provides far more detail for the charge being made.
So while it was an eye-popping effect, it wasn't gratuitous.
Critical inquiry need not involve gratuitous testing of local tolerance or acts of disrespect to local values and conventions.
Indeed, much of the novel's unpleasantness is gratuitous, or at least a violation of the genre's conventions.
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