gratuitous
unnecessary, without cause or reason
TRANSLATION
gratuitous = grundlos, überflüssig, unnötig --- GOOGLE INDEX gratuitous: approximately 8,000,000 Google hits
STATISTICS
IN THE PRESS
Two Newport County footballers have been jailed for a year for an "impulsive and GRATUITOUS" attack on a man out celebrating his 21st birthday.
(BBC News)
---
Using voice commands to roll down a window, for example, would seem GRATUITOUS to many drivers.
(New York Times)
(BBC News)
---
Using voice commands to roll down a window, for example, would seem GRATUITOUS to many drivers.
(New York Times)
Did you
know?
gratuitous
adjective
- done without good reasons; uncalled for
(Oxford Dictionary)
---
Gratuitous is a 17th century term originally used only in the sense of "done without pay, voluntary, for free." It stems from the Latin "gratus," which means pleasing, agreeable and "gratia," or favour. The sense of unnecessary or uncalled for surfaced in the late 17th century.
A lot of things in life can be gratuitous. It might be something that is not appropriate, like making a joke during a sombre occasion. Or it could be simply unnecessary, such as what we call gratuitous violence on television or in the movies. That means showing violence that adds nothing to the plot.
Gratuitous can also be just annoying, like telling a mother of four how to change a baby's diaper. We call that gratuitous advice or kibitzing, a word that comes from the Yiddish kibitsen, to offer unnecessary advice as an outsider.
A related German verb is "kiebitzen," which means to look over someone's shoulder, such as during a card game. The implication is that the "Kiebitz" is someone who interferes in another person's affairs. It stems from the name of a shore bird (European pewit, lapwing) that has a folk reputation as a meddler.
---
SYNONYMS
groundless, needless, reasonless, superfluous, unasked for, uncalled for, voluntary, unessential, unnecessary, wanton
---
SMUGGLE OWAD into today's conversation
"I don't care for the gratuitous violence on television these days."
adjective
- done without good reasons; uncalled for
(Oxford Dictionary)
---
Gratuitous is a 17th century term originally used only in the sense of "done without pay, voluntary, for free." It stems from the Latin "gratus," which means pleasing, agreeable and "gratia," or favour. The sense of unnecessary or uncalled for surfaced in the late 17th century.
A lot of things in life can be gratuitous. It might be something that is not appropriate, like making a joke during a sombre occasion. Or it could be simply unnecessary, such as what we call gratuitous violence on television or in the movies. That means showing violence that adds nothing to the plot.
Gratuitous can also be just annoying, like telling a mother of four how to change a baby's diaper. We call that gratuitous advice or kibitzing, a word that comes from the Yiddish kibitsen, to offer unnecessary advice as an outsider.
A related German verb is "kiebitzen," which means to look over someone's shoulder, such as during a card game. The implication is that the "Kiebitz" is someone who interferes in another person's affairs. It stems from the name of a shore bird (European pewit, lapwing) that has a folk reputation as a meddler.
---
SYNONYMS
groundless, needless, reasonless, superfluous, unasked for, uncalled for, voluntary, unessential, unnecessary, wanton
---
SMUGGLE OWAD into today's conversation
"I don't care for the gratuitous violence on television these days."
