Like gratitude, grace, and congratulate, gratuitous is a descendant of the Latin word gratus, which means "pleasing" or "grateful." When gratuitous was first used in the 17th century, it meant "free" or …

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 …

GRATUITOUS definition: 1. (of something such as bad behaviour) not necessary, or with no cause: 2. (of something such as…. Learn more.

Definition of gratuitous adjective in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

1. given, done, or obtained without charge; free; voluntary. 2. being without apparent reason, cause, or justification: a gratuitous insult. 3. Law. given without receiving any return value.

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 …

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 …

Mar 23, 2026 · Adjective gratuitous (comparative more gratuitous, superlative most gratuitous) Given freely; unearned.

being without apparent reason, cause, or justification: a gratuitous insult. Law given without receiving any return value. gra•tu′i•tous•ness, n. 2. unnecessary, superfluous, redundant; causeless, …

gratuitous (adjective) gratuitous /grə ˈ tuːwətəs/ Brit /grə ˈ tjuːətəs/ adjective Britannica Dictionary definition of GRATUITOUS [more gratuitous; most gratuitous] formal : not necessary or appropriate