Dictionary

gratuitous en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• /ɡɹəˈtjuː.ɪt.əs/ (UK)
• /ɡɹəˈtu.ɪt.əs/ (US)
• (US) audio

Etymology

From Latin grātuītus (“free”), from Latin grātia (“favor”), grātus (“showing favor”).

Meanings

1. Given freely; unearned.
   • 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." 2023 January 11, Stephen Roberts, “Bradshaw's Britain: castles and cathedrals”, in RAIL, number 974, page 56:
2. Unjustified or unnecessary; not called for by the circumstances.
   • 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! 1983, Lorenzo Semple Jr., Never Say Never Again, spoken by Q (Alec McCowen):
3. (in linguistic criticism) extraneous, interpolated.

Forms

Antonyms

onerous

Coordinates

superfluous

Deriveds

semigratuitous · nongratuitous · gratuitous violence · gratuitousness · gratuitous praise · gratuitously · ungratuitous

Relateds

gratis · gratuity

Synonyms

free · baseless · unfounded · gratis · groundless · unjustified · unnecessary · uncalled-for

Translations (69)

he חִנָּם (given freely, unearned) · ro gratuit (given freely, unearned) · sv opåkallad (not called for by the circumstances) · bg безкористен (given freely, unearned) · sv oförtjänt (not called for by the circumstances) · ro arbitrar (not called for by the circumstances) · ro nejustificat (not called for by the circumstances) · de nutzlos (not called for by the circumstances) · fi ilmainen (given freely, unearned) · ro gratis (given freely, unearned) · es gratuito (given freely, unearned) · tr fuzuli (not called for by the circumstances) · de unbegründet (not called for by the circumstances) · de unverdient (given freely, unearned) · ru беспричинный (not called for by the circumstances) · de unnötig (not called for by the circumstances) · bg ненужен (not called for by the circumstances) · hu indokolatlan (not called for by the circumstances) · ru безвозмездный (given freely, unearned) · sv onödig (not called for by the circumstances) · sv oberättigad (not called for by the circumstances) · mi pokerehū (not called for by the circumstances) · de grundlos (not called for by the circumstances) · fi perusteeton (not called for by the circumstances) · ru необосно́ванный (not called for by the circumstances) · tr gereksiz (not called for by the circumstances) · es gratuito (not called for by the circumstances) · sv omotiverad (not called for by the circumstances) · de unaufgefordert (not called for by the circumstances) · fr gratuit (given freely, unearned) · sq fal (given freely, unearned) · tr lüzumsuz (not called for by the circumstances) · de unentgeltlich (given freely, unearned) · ru незаслуженный (given freely, unearned) · nl gratuit (not called for by the circumstances) · de frei (given freely, unearned) · sv meningslös (not called for by the circumstances) · he חִנָּם (not called for by the circumstances) · de geschenkt (given freely, unearned) · fa بیجا (not called for by the circumstances) · pt gratuito (given freely, unearned) · pl bezpłatny (given freely, unearned) · ro gratis (not called for by the circumstances) · pl niepotrzebny (not called for by the circumstances) · fi tarpeeton (not called for by the circumstances) · fa بیخودی (not called for by the circumstances) · hu fölösleges (not called for by the circumstances) · de unerwünscht (not called for by the circumstances) · nl gratis (given freely, unearned) · da unødvendig (not called for by the circumstances) · ru беспла́тный (given freely, unearned) · fi vastikkeeton (given freely, unearned) · bg безпричинен (not called for by the circumstances) · fi aiheeton (not called for by the circumstances) · nl ongegrond (not called for by the circumstances) · grc ἀδάπανος (given freely, unearned) · fa الکی (not called for by the circumstances) · sv ogrundad (not called for by the circumstances) · pl nieodpłatny (given freely, unearned) · de kostenlos (given freely, unearned) · de willkürlich (not called for by the circumstances) · de überflüssig (not called for by the circumstances) · tr ücretsiz (given freely, unearned) · bg безплатен (given freely, unearned) · fr gratuit (not called for by the circumstances) · nl kosteloos (given freely, unearned) · de gratis (given freely, unearned) · de beliebig (not called for by the circumstances) · pl bezpodstawny (not called for by the circumstances)