Gratuitous

The adjective 'gratuitous' describes something that is unnecessary, unwarranted, or uncalled for, often implying it is excessive or without good reason. It can refer to acts, statements, or imagery that are unearned, often to a detrimental degree. Furthermore, it is typically used in the context of the absence of a specific reason or justification for its presence. When an action is described as gratuitous, it suggests that it's excessive, unjustified, and may even be harmful or offensive, rather than serving any real purpose or benefit. In essence, it is something added beyond what is necessary, or something done without any justification or reason.

Gratuitous meaning with examples

• The film's violence was criticized for being gratuitous; several scenes seemed solely included to shock the audience rather than advance the plot or develop the characters, leading to calls for the movie to be censored. The director defended their work, but critics did not relent with their critique.
• During the town meeting, the politician offered a gratuitous insult toward his opponent. Rather than focusing on the issues, he made personal attacks that served no constructive purpose and only incited further division within the community, further hindering the discourse.
• Her essay included gratuitous use of jargon, obscuring the meaning of her arguments rather than clarifying them. The complex language created a barrier between the writer and the reader, which was not the intention. Its use was unnecessary and detracted from the central thesis.
• The novel was filled with gratuitous descriptions of lavish parties and expensive cars, serving no real purpose within the narrative. These details did nothing to advance the plot or character development, and were simply unnecessary and excessive, according to critics.
• He was accused of making gratuitous remarks about his colleague's appearance in the meeting. These comments were offensive, irrelevant, and violated professional conduct, prompting a formal reprimand from the manager and his colleagues.