The word "liberal" definitely has the same definition of "libre"--ever hear of the term "liberal democracy"? That's exactly the same kind free they're talking about.
> 2. given, done, bestowed, or obtained without charge or payment; free; complimentary.
It's more of a stretch there, because the primary definition of gratuitous has a connotation of unnecessary, even undesirable. If you didn't have at least some hint of disapproval of a service, you'd reach for the word "free" long before "gratuitous".
The “liberal” in “liberal democracy” doesn’t mean the same thing as the “free” in “free software”. It’s the license that is liberal, not the software itself, so at most I’d admit that “liberally licensed software” means the same thing.
Similarly you would say someone who’s gotten out of prison is now “free” (or libre in French or Spanish) but you wouldn’t say they’re “liberal”.
"Gratuitous" also has that definition, though it's far less common in use. See the dictionary definition, e.g., here: https://www.dictionary.com/browse/gratuitous
> 2. given, done, bestowed, or obtained without charge or payment; free; complimentary.
It's more of a stretch there, because the primary definition of gratuitous has a connotation of unnecessary, even undesirable. If you didn't have at least some hint of disapproval of a service, you'd reach for the word "free" long before "gratuitous".