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
The Prime release should play great at any scale while its stars are crossed at one another, but miscalculates their chemistry in a gratuitous and slightly icky epilogue.
—
Peter Debruge, Variety, 29 Jan. 2025
This sort of gratuitous and misleading language is designed to misrepresent the entire field of DEI, creating further division and anger.
—Paolo Gaudiano, Forbes, 5 Jan. 2025
The camera’s positioning and perspective are deliberate, leaving nothing gratuitous.
—Ben Croll, Variety, 22 Jan. 2025
But with Paramount yet to open the film in Japan in France, and to use the topically gratuitous metaphor, Better Man’s monkey could still swing (on streaming services if not theatrically).
—Chris Lee, Vulture, 16 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gratuitous
Peter Debruge, Variety, 29 Jan. 2025
This sort of gratuitous and misleading language is designed to misrepresent the entire field of DEI, creating further division and anger.
—Paolo Gaudiano, Forbes, 5 Jan. 2025
The camera’s positioning and perspective are deliberate, leaving nothing gratuitous.
—Ben Croll, Variety, 22 Jan. 2025
But with Paramount yet to open the film in Japan in France, and to use the topically gratuitous metaphor, Better Man’s monkey could still swing (on streaming services if not theatrically).
—Chris Lee, Vulture, 16 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gratuitous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gratuitous
Adjective
-
Khalil Mack, Chargers Availability: Mack is scheduled for unrestricted free agency and the Chargers have plenty of cap space.—
Jerry McDonald,
The Mercury News,
19 Feb. 2025
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Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.—
Ingrid Vasquez,
People.com,
19 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Time is of the essence—act now to ensure compliance and avoid unnecessary legal and financial repercussions.—
Matthew F. Erskine,
Forbes,
19 Feb. 2025
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The Pure Water project is intended to make the upgrades unnecessary because sewage from the plant will be purified at a new Miramar plant just east of Interstate 805, then stored in Lake Miramar reservoir near Interstate 15 and later piped to homes and businesses as potable water.—
Gary Warth,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
19 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Deeper Connect has a few benefits over traditional VPNs, including Military-grade encryption, 300Mbps server speeds, built-in ad blocking, and optional parental controls.—
StackCommerce Team (Sponsored),
PCMAG,
21 Feb. 2025
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Layer, in order, a bottom bun, Boston lettuce (optional), shrimp patty, mango slaw and, last, the top bun.—
Jessica Fields,
Essence,
21 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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For those who want to play it safe and sophisticated with this tricky trend, stick to a neutral color palette when adding athletic touches to your spring dress ensemble with complimentary touches of color by way of resin statement earrings and a bit of blush for rosy cheeks.—
Adam Mansuroglu,
WWD,
24 Feb. 2025
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The new locker room is stocked with complimentary essentials like hand warmers, lip balm, sunscreen, and slippers for relaxing in the lounge upstairs.—
Lydia Price,
Travel + Leisure,
22 Feb. 2025
Articles Related to gratuitous
Cite this Entry
“Gratuitous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gratuitous. Accessed 4 Mar. 2025.
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