Question

gratuitous Members of the committee were objecting to what they considered gratuitous violence on television. grəˈtuətəs

Accepted Answer

Not called for by the circumstances. In its original sense, gratuitous can refer to anything given freely, like a tip. But the word now almost always applies to something that's seen as not only unnecessary (like a tip, which you don't really have to give) but also unwelcome. To insult or criticize someone gratuitously is to make a hurtful remark that's uncalled for and undeserved. But scenes in a film that you yourself might call gratuitous were, unfortunately, probably put there to attract an audience that wants to see them

word	gratuitous
definition	Not called for by the circumstances.
eg_sentence	Members of the committee were objecting to what they considered gratuitous violence on television.
explanation	In its original sense, gratuitous can refer to anything given freely, like a tip. But the word now almost always applies to something that's seen as not only unnecessary (like a tip, which you don't really have to give) but also unwelcome. To insult or criticize someone gratuitously is to make a hurtful remark that's uncalled for and undeserved. But scenes in a film that you yourself might call gratuitous were, unfortunately, probably put there to attract an audience that wants to see them
IPA	grəˈtuətəs

Gratuitous Called Circumstances Members Committee Objecting Considered Violence