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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 But the sheer brutality and creeping terror of the simplistic opening scene makes the rest of the film — with its gratuitous set pieces and CGI gore — seem much more inelegant. — Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 15 June 2026 The length exacerbates all the rest of the series' sins, including a lack of emotional depth, gratuitous suffering and violence, long stretches of boring, listless plotting and extraneous characters. — Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 4 June 2026 Buscarello advises against anything with gratuitous organizational features. — Alison Syrett Cleary, InStyle, 30 June 2026 Others have been mired in gratuitous nostalgia (Obi-Wan Kenobi), left lost in the weeds with fan-favorite characters (Ahsoka), or a bad combination of both (The Book of Boba Fett). — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 25 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for gratuitous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gratuitous
  1. free
  2. unnecessary
  3. optional
  4. complimentary
Adjective
  • Seating is first come, first served, with free parking (using their QR code) in the Midtown Promenade shared lot.
    — Blair Crosby, AJC.com, 5 July 2026
  • In addition, the Ultimate Fan Tier includes offline viewing and access to the Crunchyroll Game Vault, which offers free games and other premiums.
    — Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 5 July 2026
Definition of free
Adjective
  • The company believes separating trim functions from full system startup could improve convenience and reduce unnecessary power use.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 3 July 2026
  • Increasing staff at medical facilities during heat waves could also prevent unnecessary deaths.
    — Christopher Cann, USA Today, 2 July 2026
Definition of unnecessary
Adjective
  • The company is selling highly customizable electric vehicles that come with few standard features, but plenty of optional add-ons.
    — Charles Singh, USA Today, 1 July 2026
  • An optional passenger display also makes its debut on the BMW X5.
    — Matthew MacConnell, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
Definition of optional
Adjective
  • Three outdoor swimming pools and complimentary daily yoga classes give the property a resort feel.
    — Allison Tibaldi, USA Today, 4 July 2026
  • Dinner is a three-course meal, accompanied by one complimentary alcoholic beverage, while additional menu options are also available.
    — Abby Price, Travel + Leisure, 4 July 2026
Definition of complimentary

Browse Nearby Words

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 7 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on gratuitous

Nglish: Translation of gratuitous for Spanish Speakers

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