gratuitously

/ɡɹəˈtjuː.ɪ.təs.li/

//ɡɹəˈtjuː.ɪ.təs.li// adv

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"gratuitously" is a 12-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“gratuitously” is uncommon English (frequency #70,714 among 2,313 “G” headwords), classed as an adverb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#70,714
frequency rank, English
2,313
“G” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Freely; in the manner of a gift, without being earned.

Corpus desk

Index EN-gratuitously · gratuitously · English

gratuitously · rank #70,714 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #70,714
  • LEN-MEGA 12 letters
  • VOW-6 6 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,313
  • PHOTO-FINISH gravedigger

Nearest frequency peer: gravedigger (+1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Long-tail ranks near “gratuitously”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “gratuitously” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for gratuitously
PropertyValue
Headwordgratuitously
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdverb
IPA/ɡɹəˈtjuː.ɪ.təs.li/
Letters12
Frequency rank#70,714
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “gratuitously” in English

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).gratuitouslyfalls in this rarity band:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Rare peers in the same band: “gravedigger” (#70,715), “greeter” (#70,716), “Grinstead” (#70,717). Among 2,313 “G” headwords, “gratuitously” is #70,714. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

gratuitously is uncommon English at frequency #70,714 among 2,313 “G” headwords, classed as anadverb, transcribed /ɡɹəˈtjuː.ɪ.təs.li/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

No generated misspelling entries exist for gratuitously in our index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From gratuitous + -ly. The correct English form is gratuitously, spelled G-R-A-T-U-I-T-O-U-S-L-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    Freely; in the manner of a gift, without being earned.
  2. 2
    In a manner not demanded by the circumstances, without reason, justification, cause, or proof.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how gratuitously appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. We should feed and clothe him gratuitously sometimes, and recruit him with our cordials, before we judge of him.
  2. Secondly, Mr. Browne concludes, apparently rather gratuitously, on page 441 as follows[…]

Etymology

From gratuitous + -ly.

This word in other languages

gratuitamente(Español)gratuitement(Français)umsonst(Deutsch)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "gratuitously"?
"gratuitously" is spelled G-R-A-T-U-I-T-O-U-S-L-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ɡɹəˈtjuː.ɪ.təs.li/.
What does "gratuitously" mean?
As an adverb, "gratuitously" means: Freely; in the manner of a gift, without being earned.
How do you pronounce "gratuitously"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "gratuitously" is /ɡɹəˈtjuː.ɪ.təs.li/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "gratuitously"?
From gratuitous + -ly. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "gratuitously", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 12 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

impertinence#70,769impregnation#70,770indoctrinate#70,773endeavouring#70,636

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list