gratis

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle English gratis,^[2][3][4] borrowed from Latin grātīs (“freely, for nothing”),^[5][6][7] a contraction of grātiīs (“out of favour or kindness”),^[5][7][8] the ablative plural of grātia (“grace, favour”),^[5][3][2] so literally "for thanks",^[9] hence without recompense.^[9][6] Etymonline and the American Heritage Dictionary trace the Latin noun to Proto-Indo-European *gwerə- (“to favor”).^[9][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Voluntarily, without compulsion: in a legal record from Maldon of 1444, that a man should not answer without attachment unless he came in gratis.^[4][6] The OED's first record, for "for nothing, without charge", is T. Norton's Ordinall of Alchimy of 1477.^[5]

Semantic evolution

The legal "of one's own will" gave way to the sense that has lasted, for nothing, without payment.^[5][6] Barnhart dates "free of charge" to 1541^[6] and Etymonline to the 1540s,^[9] while the OED has it from 1477.^[5] From the Rheims Bible (1582) to 1805 it also meant without reason or due cause,^[5] a use parallel to gratuitous.^[5] The adjective, given or done for nothing, came from the adverb in 1659.^[5][6] Johnson (1755) knew only the adverb, quoting Coriolanus: "When corn was given them gratis".^[10] English has long reinforced it in free gratis and free, gratis and for nothing,^[2][11][5] and in the 19th century Scots and Northumberland dialect had the adjective, in Ayrshire also as gratus.^[12]

Timeline

• 1444 – voluntarily, without compulsion.^[4][6]
• 1477 – for nothing, without charge.^[5] Barnhart dates this sense to 1541,^[6] Etymonline to the 1540s.^[9]
• 1582 – without due cause (obsolete by 1805).^[5]
• 1601 – scot-free, without penalty (obsolete and rare).^[5]
• 1659 – adjective, given or done for nothing.^[5][6]
• 1752 – exempting from payment (rare).^[5]

Meanings

Adverb

1. Without charge or recompense; for nothing: The museum admits students gratis.^[13][2][5]

Adjective

1. Given or done for nothing; free, gratuitous: a gratis ticket to the concert.^[13][5]

Related words

• gratuity
• gratuitous
• grace
• gracious

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
3. ^ a b c The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (online 2024), 5th ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
4. ^ a b c Kurath, Hans; Kuhn, Sherman M.; Lewis, Robert E., eds. (1952–2001), Middle English Dictionary, Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press; online edition ed. Frances McSparran et al. (2000–2018)
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Oxford English Dictionary Online (accessed March 2026), Oxford: Oxford University Press
6. ^ a b c d e f g h i Barnhart, Robert K. (1988), The Barnhart Dictionary of Etymology
7. ^ a b Hoad, T. F., ed. (1986), The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology, Oxford: Clarendon Press
8. ^ Klein, Ernest. A Comprehensive Etymological Dictionary of the English Language. 2 vols. Amsterdam: Elsevier, 1966–1967.
9. ^ a b c d e Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
10. ^ Johnson, Samuel (1755), A Dictionary of the English Language, London; 4th ed. 1773; Johnson's Dictionary Online, ed. Beth Rapp Young et al.
11. ^ Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles (2002), 5th ed., ed. William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, Oxford: Oxford University Press
12. ^ Wright, Joseph, ed. (1898–1905), The English Dialect Dictionary, 6 vols., Oxford: Henry Frowde; via EDD Online 4.0, University of Innsbruck (CC BY 4.0)
13. ^ a b Collins English Dictionary (2023), Glasgow: HarperCollins