Meaning & use
gratuitously
Last updated
In a manner that is unnecessary, uncalled for, or done without good reason, especially when excessive or offensive.
See it in a sentence
The film was criticized for depicting violence gratuitously.
He gratuitously insulted his coworkers during the meeting for no clear reason.
A note on using this word
The word can also carry its older sense of "free of charge," though today it is used almost exclusively to mean excessive or unwarranted.
Words with a similar meaning
needlesslywantonly
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
necessarily
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