gratuity
Definitions
A small amount of money given for service; a tip (formal).
小费（正式用语）；赏金。
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedgrat (favor, free gift) + -ity (state of) = 'a thing given freely.' A gratuity was first simply a free gift, offered out of goodwill rather than owed. That 'free gift for service' narrowed into the modern tip — the formal, signs-and-receipts word for it.
Root grat still carries 14 more wordsUsage Guide
- Register: gratuity is the formal word (menus, receipts, signs); in everyday speech people say tip.
- Often appears as a service charge added automatically — 'an 18% gratuity.'
Example Sentences
- 1.
A 15% gratuity will be added to your bill for large groups.
- 2.
The hotel staff are not permitted to accept gratuities.
Easily Confused
gratuity vs tip — Same thing, different register. gratuity is formal and printed (a gratuity is included). tip is the everyday spoken word (leave a tip). Don't confuse with gratuitous (uncalled-for) — they share the root but split in meaning.