Gratis

Gratis is a term used in several languages to indicate that something is provided without charge. In English, gratis is a loanword used mainly in formal, legal, or promotional contexts to denote that a product or service is offered at no cost. It is not a synonym for freedom or liberty; rather, it specifically refers to the absence of payment. In many European languages, forms related to gratis mean the same idea, and the word appears in everyday usage with slight local variations.

Etymology traces gratis to Latin, where it meant “for nothing; without pay.” From Latin, the concept spread to various languages, sometimes taking on related forms such as gratis, gratuita, or grátis, depending on gender and spelling conventions. In German, gratis is understood to mean free of charge, though kosten­los is also common in everyday speech. Romance languages such as Spanish and Italian use gratis (and gendered forms like gratuita or gratuita) to describe goods or services provided without payment, while Portuguese uses grátis.

Usage notes include that gratis frequently appears in advertising, promotions, and software or media contexts to signal free availability. It can appear alongside terms like free trial, complimentary, or no-charge. In English-language contexts, some precision may be desirable to avoid ambiguity about what is free (price vs. freedom), especially when contrasting gratis with terms that emphasize freedom to use or modify.