/ grəˈtjuːɪtəs; NAmE -ˈtuː-/ adjective
( disapproving ) done without any good reason or purpose and often having harmful effects
SYN unnecessary :
gratuitous violence on television
► gra·tuit·ous·ly adverb
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WORD ORIGIN
mid 17th cent.: from Latin gratuitus given freely, spontaneous + -ous .