“As a thank you, we're offering a free gift with every purchase.”
Redundancies Entry 181 / 1011 60-second read
Free Gift
A gift is already something given freely, so 'free' adds nothing.
The comparisoni
“As a thank you, we're offering a gift with every purchase.”
More examplesii
01
Receive a free gift when you sign up for our membership.
Receive a gift when you sign up for our membership.
02
My mom gave me a free gift for passing my exam.
My mom gave me a gift for passing my exam.
03
Buy now and get a free gift absolutely free!
Buy now and get a complimentary gift with your purchase.
The ruleiii
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GIFT ALREADY MEANS FREE: A gift by definition is something given freely without payment.
In marketing and sales, people say 'free gift' to emphasize the value of the offer. Repetition feels persuasive even though it's technically unnecessary. The phrase has become so common in advertising that it sounds normal to many speakers.
Memory aidiv
Remember it like this
Think of the word 'gift' itself: it comes from giving. You can't have a 'paid gift'—that's a purchase. So 'free' is already built in.