Word a Day
gratuitous
What does gratuitous mean?
gratuitous (adjective): unjustified or unnecessary; not called for by the circumstances.
Definition: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
How do you pronounce gratuitous?
/ɡɹəˈtuətəs/ (IPA, American English). The app reads every word aloud.
Where does gratuitous come from?
From Latin grātuītus (“free”), from Latin grātia (“favor”), grātus (“showing favor”).
Etymology: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Test yourself: do you know “gratuitous”?
Tap an answer to check it. The same questions the app asks.
What does “gratuitous” mean?
tending to contribute to, encourage, or bring about some result
Not quite: that's what conducive means.
recurring in scattered and irregular or unpredictable instances
Not quite: that's what sporadic means.
difficult to handle or use especially because of size or weight
Not quite: that's what cumbersome means.
unjustified or unnecessary; not called for by the circumstances
Right! That's what “gratuitous” means.
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