Standard Lemma guide

gratuitous

adj · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /ɡɹəˈtjuː.ɪt.əs/
  • US: /ɡɹəˈtu.ɪt.əs/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: G R AH0 T UW1 AH0 T AH0 S Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Given freely; unearned.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Unjustified or unnecessary; not called for by the circumstances.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • gratuitous violence

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: uncalled-for

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

extraneous, interpolated.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adjective satellite

Meaning 4

without cause

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a gratuitous insult

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

adjective satellite

Meaning 5

unnecessary and unwarranted

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a strikers' tent camp...was burned with needless loss of life

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: needless, uncalled-for

Antonyms: none provided

6

adjective satellite

Meaning 6

costing nothing

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • complimentary tickets
  • free admission

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: complimentary, costless, free, gratis(p)

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

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

Across languages

Translations

73 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Albanian: fal — given freely
  • Bulgarian: безплатен (bezplaten) — given freely
  • Bulgarian: безкористен (bezkoristen) — given freely
  • Dutch: kosteloos — given freely
  • Dutch: gratis — given freely
  • Finnish: ilmainen — given freely
  • Finnish: vastikkeeton — given freely
  • French: gratuit — given freely
  • German: gratis — given freely
  • German: kostenlos — given freely
  • German: geschenkt — given freely
  • German: frei — given freely
  • German: unentgeltlich — given freely
  • German: unverdient — given freely
  • Ancient Greek: ἀδάπανος (adápanos) — given freely
  • Hebrew: חִנָּם (ẖinnám) — given freely
  • Polish: bezpłatny — given freely
  • Polish: nieodpłatny — given freely
  • Portuguese: gratuito — given freely
  • Romanian: gratuit — given freely
  • Romanian: gratis — given freely
  • Russian: беспла́тный (besplátnyj) — given freely
  • Russian: безвозмездный (bezvozmezdnyj) — given freely
  • Russian: незаслуженный (nezaslužennyj) — given freely
  • Spanish: gratuito — given freely
  • Spanish: de balde — given freely
  • Spanish: de momio — given freely
  • Turkish: ücretsiz — given freely
  • Bulgarian: ненужен (nenužen) — not called for by the circumstances
  • Bulgarian: безпричинен (bezpričinen) — not called for by the circumstances
  • Danish: unødvendig — not called for by the circumstances
  • Dutch: ongegrond — not called for by the circumstances
  • Dutch: gratuit — not called for by the circumstances
  • Finnish: tarpeeton — not called for by the circumstances
  • Finnish: perusteeton — not called for by the circumstances
  • Finnish: aiheeton — not called for by the circumstances
  • French: gratuit — not called for by the circumstances
  • German: unnötig — not called for by the circumstances
  • German: überflüssig — not called for by the circumstances
  • German: nutzlos — not called for by the circumstances
  • German: willkürlich — not called for by the circumstances
  • German: grundlos — not called for by the circumstances
  • German: beliebig — not called for by the circumstances
  • German: unerwünscht — not called for by the circumstances
  • German: unaufgefordert — not called for by the circumstances
  • German: unbegründet — not called for by the circumstances
  • Hebrew: חִנָּם (ẖinnám) — not called for by the circumstances
  • Hungarian: indokolatlan — not called for by the circumstances
  • Hungarian: fölösleges — not called for by the circumstances
  • Māori: pokerehū — not called for by the circumstances
  • Persian: بیجا (bi-jâ) — not called for by the circumstances
  • Persian: الکی (alaki) — not called for by the circumstances
  • Persian: بیخودی (bi-xodi) — not called for by the circumstances
  • Polish: bezpodstawny — not called for by the circumstances
  • Polish: niepotrzebny — not called for by the circumstances
  • Romanian: nejustificat — not called for by the circumstances
  • Romanian: arbitrar — not called for by the circumstances
  • Romanian: gratis — not called for by the circumstances
  • Russian: беспричинный (bespričinnyj) — not called for by the circumstances
  • Russian: необосно́ванный (neobosnóvannyj) — not called for by the circumstances
  • Spanish: de balde — not called for by the circumstances
  • Spanish: de momio — not called for by the circumstances
  • Spanish: arbitrario — not called for by the circumstances
  • Swedish: meningslös — not called for by the circumstances
  • Swedish: ogrundad — not called for by the circumstances
  • Swedish: omotiverad — not called for by the circumstances
  • Swedish: oberättigad — not called for by the circumstances
  • Swedish: oförtjänt — not called for by the circumstances
  • Swedish: onödig — not called for by the circumstances
  • Swedish: opåkallad — not called for by the circumstances
  • Turkish: fuzuli — not called for by the circumstances
  • Turkish: gereksiz — not called for by the circumstances
  • Turkish: lüzumsuz — not called for by the circumstances
Real reading context

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