chocolate

American  

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

noun

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

• chocolatey adjective
• chocolaty adjective

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

Utz Brands and Mondelez are well-positioned for evolving snack preferences, while Hershey faces challenges due to chocolate reliance.

From Barron's • Apr. 10, 2026

There are also five different hot sauces for crew members to choose from and six desserts to satisfy their sweet tooth: pudding, cookies, chocolate, cake, candy-coated almonds and cobbler.

From Salon • Apr. 10, 2026

Smith told the paper one of the chocolate eggs broke and he picked a piece and "threw it out of frustration" towards some shopping trolleys.

From BBC • Apr. 6, 2026

Global supply chain headaches have been hitting chocolate hard and buyers have struggled to find reasonably priced chocolate treats this spring.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

Wonderfully, incredibly, miraculously he has somehow gotten two chocolate chip cookies through that mad night without breaking them.

From "Woodsong" by Gary Paulsen

Related Words

• candy
• confection
• dessert
• snack