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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of gratuitous
With the studly Euro-hunk Hugo Stiglitz and gratuitous nudity — Tintorera is said to be a Quentin Tarantino favorite.
—
Chris Nashawaty, EW.com, 20 June 2025
No hype men, no special guests, no gratuitous self-promotion.
—Bob Gendron, Chicago Tribune, 7 June 2025
While no group has taken credit for the gratuitous act of destruction, according to the university's Division of Public Safety & Security (DPSS), papers found around the site outlined the apparent motive.
—Kyle Schmidbauer, FOXNews.com, 2 June 2025
Centering the action with gore and gratuitous violence up front gave it an identity that was then doubled down upon in every subsequent release .
—Diego Argüello, Rolling Stone, 22 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gratuitous
Chris Nashawaty, EW.com, 20 June 2025
No hype men, no special guests, no gratuitous self-promotion.
—Bob Gendron, Chicago Tribune, 7 June 2025
While no group has taken credit for the gratuitous act of destruction, according to the university's Division of Public Safety & Security (DPSS), papers found around the site outlined the apparent motive.
—Kyle Schmidbauer, FOXNews.com, 2 June 2025
Centering the action with gore and gratuitous violence up front gave it an identity that was then doubled down upon in every subsequent release .
—Diego Argüello, Rolling Stone, 22 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gratuitous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gratuitous
Adjective
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Start a free trial now to start watching some of the best soccer players in the world hit the pitch.—
Kilty Cleary,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 July 2025
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Sign up for Entertainment Weekly's free newsletter to get the latest trailers, celebrity interviews, film reviews, and more.—
Wesley Stenzel,
EW.com,
26 July 2025
Adjective
-
From sky-high heels and stiff business attire to bulky belts and even barefoot passengers (yes, that happens), these in-flight missteps can lead to unnecessary discomfort—or worse, a hygiene horror story.—
Rosie Marder,
Travel + Leisure,
25 July 2025
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Nurses argue this compromises patient care and creates unnecessary risks.—
Todd Karpovich,
Baltimore Sun,
24 July 2025
Adjective
-
Transfer the ice cream to an airtight container and freeze until ready to serve. Variations Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Add ½ cup regular or mini semisweet chocolate chips, 1 teaspoon peppermint extract and 2 to 3 drops of green food coloring (food coloring is optional).—
Robin Miller,
AZCentral.com,
29 July 2025
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Some of these technologies are essential for ensuring the proper functioning of the service or website and cannot be disabled, while others are optional but serve to enhance the user experience in various ways.—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
29 July 2025
Adjective
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The special card allows the holder to eat one free meal every day and a complimentary catering order for 50 people with a value of $20,000.—
Logan Holland,
People.com,
30 July 2025
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The reality is, no one has that in cola, and obviously super complimentary to Poppi, who do have two cola SKUs, but that’s only 8% of their mix.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
29 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gratuitous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gratuitous. Accessed 5 Aug. 2025.
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