chocolate

American  

[chaw-kuh-lit, chok-uh-, chawk-lit, chok-] / ˈtʃɔ kə lɪt, ˈtʃɒk ə-, ˈtʃɔk lɪt, ˈtʃɒk- /

noun

• chocolates
  plural

1. 

   a preparation of the seeds of cacao, roasted, husked, and ground, often sweetened and flavored, as with vanilla.

2. a beverage made by dissolving such a preparation in milk or water, served hot or cold.

   a cup of hot chocolate.

3. candy made from such a preparation.

4. an individual piece of this candy.

5. any syrup or flavoring made from this preparation or artificially imitating its flavor.

6. a dark brown color.

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adjective

1. made, flavored, or covered with chocolate.

   chocolate cake; chocolate ice cream.

2. having the color of chocolate; dark-brown.

chocolate British  

/ ˈtʃɒklɪt, ˈtʃɒkəlɪt, -lət /

noun

1. a food preparation made from roasted ground cacao seeds, usually sweetened and flavoured

2. a drink or sweetmeat made from this

3. 1. a moderate to deep brown colour

   2. ( as adjective )

      a chocolate carpet

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Usage

Spelling tips for chocolate The word chocolate is hard to spell because the second o is often not emphasized when pronounced—many people say [ chawk-lit ], not [ chok-uh-lit ]. Also, the final syllable -late is pronounced [ lit ], not like the word late. How to spell chocolate: You can remember how the word chocolate starts by remembering that it is sometimes abbreviated as choco, as in choco chips and Choco Taco. You can remember the ending by remembering that chocolate is often eaten as dessert, meaning that it’s eaten late.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• chocolatey
  adjective
• chocolaty
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• chocolates
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of chocolate

First recorded in 1600–1610; from Spanish, from Nahuatl chocolātl, from chocol-, of unknown meaning (but perhaps from xococ “bitter, sour”) + ātl “water”

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Explanation

Chocolate needs little introduction or definition — it is world famous as a candy, dessert ingredient, hot drink, holiday gift, flavor, and common craving. Roasted cacao beans make chocolate. If you say, "I want chocolate," this usually means a candy bar or piece of chocolate, though chocolate cake, chocolate ice cream, and chocolate shakes all have chocolate as an ingredient. If someone tells you, "My living room is chocolate," don't get too excited — it means the walls are painted the same rich brown as the delicious treat.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

chocolate chocolates

When he was bored during the pandemic, Yankovic made it his mission to find the city’s best culinary offerings for categories like doughnuts and chocolate chip cookies.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2026

George and Mary Schaeffer brought their grandson, who sought out Magyar every night to tell her he was heeding her challenge to try new things, including chocolate ice cream.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 19, 2026

Hot Chocolate “I don’t drink coffee, but I do like a Starbucks white hot chocolate with skim milk and no whipped cream.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 19, 2026

They also get together on Thursdays for pasta night, where one player acknowledged eating “six to eight” chocolate chip cookies to close out a night of shared love for carbohydrates.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 11, 2026

I want toast, Abby thought, and some applesauce, and my chocolate cupcake.

From "Earthquake Terror" by Peg Kehret

"He went shopping, he bought things like cream and chocolates instead of fish fingers and bread," she said.

From BBC ● Sep. 27, 2026

Hershey has faced similar litigation over other seasonal Reese’s candies, including ghost-shaped chocolates without depicted facial features and football-shaped candies that lacked the laces shown on their packaging.

From Salon ● Sep. 19, 2026

With U.S. bombing paused, Iran has reopened its airspace and resumed flights, allowing some pilgrims to fly directly to Medina, where they were welcomed by Saudi volunteers with flowers and chocolates, Saudi television showed.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 23, 2026

Lately, she’s making a feast of roles that all remind me of that old sitcom episode in which Lucille Ball gobbles chocolates on a conveyor belt.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 21, 2026

When Imani gets up to use the bathroom, I pull out my wallet to pay for the hot chocolates.

From "American Street" by Ibi Zoboi

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Related Words

• candy
• confection
• dessert
• snack

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