Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1600-1700
Language: Latin
Origin: gratuitus, from gratus; GRATEFUL

gratuitous

 adjective
     
gra‧tu‧i‧tous
said or done without a good reason, in a way that offends someone [= unnecessary]:
children's books which include gratuitous violence
—gratuitously adverb:
There is no point in gratuitously antagonizing people.
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.
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