GRATU'ITOUS, adjective [Latin gratuitus, from gratus.] 1. Free; voluntary; not required by justice; granted without claim or merit. We mistake the gratuitous blessings of heaven for the fruits of our own industry. 2. Asserted or taken without proof; as a gratuitous argument or affirmation.
Source: Webster's 1828 American Dictionary ↗ · public-domain · returned verbatim, no AI