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- DictionaryGratuitous
adj. adjective
- ▪ Given or granted without return or recompense; unearned.
- ▪ Given or received without cost or obligation; free.
Gratuitous means "without cause" or "unnecessary." Telling ridiculous jokes at a somber occasion would be a display of gratuitous humor. Gratuitous can be used to refer to something that’s unnecessary and mildly annoying. If a friend frequently gives you fashion tips, even though you’ve expressed no interest in receiving them, you’d be ...
Definition of gratuitous adjective in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.
1 day ago · adjective. If you describe something as gratuitous, you mean that it is unnecessary, and often harmful or upsetting . There's too much crime and gratuitous violence on TV. ...his insistence on offering gratuitous advice.
adj. 1. Given or granted without return or recompense; unearned. 2. Given or received without cost or obligation; free. 3. Unnecessary or unwarranted; unjustified: gratuitous criticism. [From Latin grātuītus; see g w erə- in Indo-European roots .] gra·tu′i·tous·ly adv. gra·tu′i·tous·ness n.
Unnecessary or unwarranted; unjustified. Gratuitous criticism. American Heritage. Without cause or justification; uncalled-for. Webster's New World. Similar definitions. Synonyms: costless. gratis. free. complimentary. uncalled-for. needless. wanton. supererogatory. supererogative. Antonyms: reasonable. justifiable. necessary. warranted.
From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English gra‧tu‧i‧tous /ɡrəˈtjuːɪtəs $ -ˈtuː-/ adjective said or done without a good reason, in a way that offends someone SYN unnecessary children’s books which include gratuitous violence —gratuitously adverb There is no point in gratuitously antagonizing people.
unnecessary, superfluous, redundant; causeless, unreasonable, groundless, unprovoked, unjustified. Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers:: gratuitous /ɡrəˈtjuːɪtəs/ adj. given or received without payment or obligation. without cause; unjustified. Etymology: 17th Century: from Latin grātuītus, from grātia favour.
