adj
gratuitous
gruh-TYOO-iht-uhs
adj
1
Done without any good reason, especially excessive or unnecessary (often used of violence or offense).
"Critics called the film's violence gratuitous and pointless."
"There was no need for that gratuitous insult."
2
Given freely, without being earned or paid for.
"The gift was entirely gratuitous, with no strings attached."
How to Use Gratuitous
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishUncalled-for or excessive, added for no real reason — often said about needless violence, nudity, or insults in media.
Common mistake
Doesn't mean "free" in everyday use anymore — the common modern sense is "unnecessary/excessive", not "complimentary".
Common pairings
gratuitous violence
gratuitous insult
gratuitous nudity
Word Forms
more gratuitous comparative, most gratuitous superlative
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Critics called the film's violence _____ and pointless.
Etymology
From Latin grātuītus ("free, unearned"), from grātia ("favor"), from grātus ("pleasing").