From the options lettered A to D, choose the word that is NEAREST IN MEANING to the underlined word:

The journalist's comments about the judicial outcome were considered completely gratuitous.

Answer and explanation

Correct answer: B. unwarranted and unnecessary

  1. Step 1: Analyze the meaning of the adjective 'gratuitous' in a critical context. Derived from Latin gratuitus ('done without pay or reason'), 'gratuitous' commonly describes remarks, violence, or actions done without good reason, uncalled for, unwarranted, or unjustified.
  2. Step 2: Match with the closest option: 'unwarranted and unnecessary' precisely defines uncalled-for remarks lacking reasonable justification.
Answer
unwarranted and unnecessary.
Why not the others: highly praise-worthy is the opposite, suggesting commendable merit; politically unbiased describes neutrality or objectivity, which does not relate to being uncalled for; carefully researched implies thorough preparation and empirical justification, the contrary of baseless gratuitous comments.

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