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  

/ -lət, ˈtʃɒklɪt, ˈtʃɒkəlɪt /

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

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”

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

The group does not sell direct to consumers but provides cocoa and chocolate preparations to major firms around the world, including Hershey, Mondelez and Nestlé as well as cake, cookie and ice cream makers.

From Barron's • Jul. 9, 2026

Best known as the dream factory, Hollywood also echoes a certain chocolate factory that offers all-access golden tickets to fortunate boys and girls.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 7, 2026

Top executives at the maker of KitKat chocolate and Nescafe coffee have noticed consumers, pinched by inflation, are opting for either smaller portions or mega-sized value packs.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 2, 2026

“If we were in the chocolate business, we wouldn’t simply make a low-sugar option,” he said, but invent a “cocoa chewable gummy they never thought was possible.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 22, 2026

I guess he got me in his truck at some point because now I’m sitting on Gertrude with a crocheted blanket tucked around me, and a cup of hot chocolate in my hands.

From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam

Related Words

• candy
• confection
• dessert
• snack