gratis

"Gratis" comes from Latin and means something is given or provided without charge. Think of a free sample at a bakery, a museum offering free admission on a holiday, or a hotel giving you a complimentary room upgrade. That is gratis. It is more formal than the everyday word "free," so you often see it in business, hospitality, advertising, or official writing. In most cases, it simply points to the fact that there is no cost.

The word "gratis" comes from Latin and means "as a favor" or "without payment." In modern English, it describes something offered, done, or provided without charge. In plain terms, if something is gratis, you do not have to pay for it.

You will often see it in professional, promotional, or formal contexts. A company might offer a gratis consultation to new clients. A hotel might include gratis breakfast or valet parking. A museum may announce gratis admission on special days. In all of these cases, the main idea is the same: the person receiving the service or item does not pay for it.

The word can also describe actions, especially in the phrase "work gratis" or "provide advice gratis," which means to do something without being paid. That said, the heart of the word is still about price, not necessarily kindness. Something can be gratis as part of a promotion, a policy, or a special offer. Because of its formal tone, it is less common in everyday speech than "free," but it still appears in marketing, hospitality, legal writing, and careful written English.