Gratuitous means something that is done or given without any reason, cause, or justification. It is often used to describe actions or behavior that are unnecessary and excessive, or that serve no practical purpose.
Usage examples
The violence in the movie was gratuitous and added nothing to the plot.
The author included a gratuitous sex scene that felt unnecessary and out of place.
The actor's use of profanity seemed gratuitous and only served to shock the audience.
The game had gratuitous levels of difficulty, frustrating players for no reason.
The director's decision to include a gratuitous product placement was seen as a blatant attempt to make more money.
The continuous analysis of programme content by communication researchers such as George Gerbner shows that the levels of gratuitous violence in U.S. television are as high as ever. (religion-online.org)
The action moves at fever pitch, with beautiful women, a really, really nasty villain, lots of medical lingo and liberal amounts of gratuitous violence from which our protagonist recovers with miraculous speed. (bookbrowse.com)
The Kyocera Hydro Vibe is a small and thick, by today's standards, with gratuitous use of hard plastic and a few different textures and finishes that try to make it look fancy but generally make it seem cheap. (androidcentral.com)