Words of Positivity
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No-strings-attached

adj.kind, calmeveryday

What it means

Given freely without hidden conditions or expected repayment.

Reach for it when describing a gift or offer with no hidden conditions or expected return

The no-strings-attached grant let the shelter address its most urgent needs.

Choose between these

6
  • everyday

    free and clear

    ownership passes without debt or claim

    not when Free and clear is especially financial or legal.

  • warm

    open-handed

    generous spirit is being praised

    not when Open-handed describes manner, not enforceable terms.

  • professional

    unrestricted

    the recipient controls how support is used

    not when Unrestricted funds can still carry reporting duties.

  • formal

    outright

    the transfer is complete rather than temporary

    not when Outright ownership does not rule out expectations.

  • formal

    unconditional

    no qualifying requirement applies

    not when Unconditional can overstate gifts governed by ordinary law.

  • literary

    gratis

    absence of payment is the only claim

    not when Gratis does not exclude nonfinancial conditions.

Said against

3
  • conditional
  • encumbered
  • quid pro quo

It naturally appears in

3
  • no-strings-attached gift

    The no-strings-attached gift covered the shelter's urgent repairs.

  • no-strings-attached funding

    No-strings-attached funding let residents choose their own priorities.

  • truly no-strings-attached

    The offer was truly no-strings-attached and required no publicity.

Where this comes from

The phrase is only accurate when legal, financial, publicity, data, and relationship expectations are all absent or disclosed.

The definition and the example on this page are written here. The dictionaries above ground which meaning is being described, not the wording.