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
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Recent Examples of gratuitous
Neither didactic nor gratuitous, these questions are neatly streamed into the screenplay and will enhance the film’s appeal for many viewers.
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Richard Kuipers, Variety, 29 Oct. 2024
Outside of casting, Season 4 begins to show its cracks (possibly because showrunner John Hoffman had to focus on weaving all those gratuitous guest stars into the story).
—Proma Khosla, IndieWire, 30 Oct. 2024
Only to spend my money on senseless, completely gratuitous experiences, without zebras or anything.
—Yiyun Li, Harper's Magazine, 23 Sep. 2024
In an early cutscene, Frank checks out a character’s body with a first-person camera sequence following his gaze — but all in all, Deluxe Remaster is an interesting case for modernizing a game to omit gratuitous sexualization and sensationalism.
—Diego Argüello, Rolling Stone, 21 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for gratuitous 
Richard Kuipers, Variety, 29 Oct. 2024
Outside of casting, Season 4 begins to show its cracks (possibly because showrunner John Hoffman had to focus on weaving all those gratuitous guest stars into the story).
—Proma Khosla, IndieWire, 30 Oct. 2024
Only to spend my money on senseless, completely gratuitous experiences, without zebras or anything.
—Yiyun Li, Harper's Magazine, 23 Sep. 2024
In an early cutscene, Frank checks out a character’s body with a first-person camera sequence following his gaze — but all in all, Deluxe Remaster is an interesting case for modernizing a game to omit gratuitous sexualization and sensationalism.
—Diego Argüello, Rolling Stone, 21 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for gratuitous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gratuitous
Adjective
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The Atlanta Braves are set to lose two starting pitchers to free agency.Stephan Pechdimaldji, Newsweek, 15 Dec. 2024
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Sign up for Entertainment Weekly's free daily newsletter to get breaking TV news, exclusive first looks, recaps, reviews, interviews with your favorite stars, and more.Andy Hoglund, EW.com, 15 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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But they were assured reservations were unnecessary.Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA TODAY, 15 Dec. 2024
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Be clear about your priorities and don’t let unnecessary features distract you.Rhett Power, Forbes, 15 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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This is optional under current law, and some Ohio school boards have rescinded religious programs like LifeWise Academy.Jessie Balmert, The Enquirer, 19 Dec. 2024
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There’s also some flexibility here: The mounting hardware is optional and the storage system can work either vertically or horizontally, depending on what would function best in your space.Alex Ronan, Architectural Digest, 18 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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The guys in the truck listening could hear Metzgar being very complimentary.Keith Sharon, The Tennessean, 20 Dec. 2024
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While some take a maximalist approach, others exercise some restraint, defining shapes like hour markers and index rings with complimentary tones.Blake Buettner, Robb Report, 20 Dec. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Gratuitous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gratuitous. Accessed 23 Dec. 2024.
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