gratuity

English

Etymology

From Middle French gratuité (from Old French gratuite) or directly from Medieval Latin gratuitas (“a free gift”), from Latin gratuitus (“freely given, free”); see gratuitous.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ɡɹəˈtjuːətɪ/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ɡɹəˈtuːətɪ/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Noun

gratuity (plural gratuities)

1. An additional payment given freely as thanks for service.
2. Euphemistic form of fee, in contexts where such additional payments have been made obligatory.
3. Euphemistic form of bribe.

Synonyms

• (additional payment offered in thanks): douceur, grace, pourboire, tip; baksheesh (Turkish and Middle Eastern contexts); cumshaw (SE Chinese contexts; archaic); see also gift
• (obligatory fee): service charge; douceur, tip (euphemistic)
• (bribe): Thesaurus:bribe
• (additional gift from a vendor): lagniappe

Related terms

• gratis
• gratuitous
• gratuitously

Translations

reward provided freely, without obligation

• Bulgarian: паричен подарък m (paričen podarǎk)
• Czech: spropitné (cs) n
• Dutch: fooi (nl) m or f
• Esperanto: trinkmono
• Estonian: jootraha
• Finnish: juomaraha (fi)
• German: Zuwendung (de) f, Geldgeschenk (de) n, Gratifikation (de) f
• Hindi: उपदान (hi) m (updān)
• Hungarian: borravaló (hu), (to health workers) hálapénz
• Latin: dōnātīvum n
• Persian: انعام‎ (fa) (an'âm), شتل‎ (fa) (šatal)
• Polish: napiwek (pl) m
• Russian: бонус (ru) m (bonus)
• Spanish: dádiva (es)
• Ukrainian: чайові́ (čajoví)

service charge — see service charge,‎ fee

bribe#Noun — see bribe

Further reading

• “gratuity”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• “gratuity”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.