gratuitous

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

He said their occupation of the guardhouse would have sufficed in causing disruption and the damage they caused was "gratuitous" and for "performance purposes only".

From BBC • Mar. 4, 2026

What makes the act of flinging himself upside down so audacious is that it’s entirely gratuitous.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 10, 2026

Banerjee also criticised what he called an excess of "gratuitous violence", arguing that "it is social media hype that is deciding the film's fate."

From Barron's • Jan. 25, 2026

The weeks after Kirk was shot were marked by gratuitous consecrations of the man’s virtue.

From Slate • Dec. 22, 2025

The praise is never phony, and the criticism never gratuitous.

From "Drama High" by Michael Sokolove