carat

1 of 3

noun (1)

car·​at

variant spelling of karat

: a unit of fineness for gold equal to 1/24 part of pure gold in an alloy

carat

2 of 3

noun (2)

car·​at ˈker-ət 

ˈka-rət

: a unit of weight for precious stones equal to 200 milligrams

karat

3 of 3

noun (3)

kar·​at ˈker-ət 

ˈka-rət

variants or carat

: a unit of fineness for gold equal to 1/24 part of pure gold in an alloy

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between a carat and a karat?

These two words are tricky, as one of them may refer both to the measurement of a precious stone's weight and to the purity of gold, while the other only refers to the purity of gold. Carat may be used for both, but karat is only employed in reference to gold.

What is weighed in carats?

Precious stones are weighed in carats; a single carat is equal to 200 milligrams. Carat is also a variant spelling of karat, which measures the purity (but not the weight) of gold.

How much is a carat?

If carat is serving as a variant spelling of karat, then it is measuring the fineness, rather than the weight, of gold; each carat is equal to 1/24 part of pure gold. If carat is being used in reference to precious stones, it is a unit of weight equal to 200 milligrams.

Examples of carat in a Sentence

Noun (3)

She was wearing an 18 karat gold bracelet.

Pure gold is 24 karats.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Christy Lee shared different angles of her huge new 15-carat diamond engagement ring after Post Malone proposed in photos shared on August 19. — Lara Walsh, InStyle, 20 Aug. 2026

Metal purity is worth asking about directly, with eighteen carat gold or platinum marking the entry point for a piece meant to last. — Pooja Mistry, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2026

Noun

Her engagement ring featured a 12-carat oval blue Ceylon sapphire surrounded by 14 solitaire diamonds and set in 18-karat white gold. — Giovana Gelhoren, InStyle, 14 Aug. 2026

Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook presented the president with a 24-karat-gold base to hold a glass sculpture. — Matt Viser, The Atlantic, 2 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (2)

Middle English carrat measure of fineness in gold, from Middle French carat measure of fineness in gold or of weight in gems, from Italian carato, from Arabic qīrāṭ bean pod, a small weight, from Greek keration carob bean, a small weight, from diminutive of kerat-, keras horn — more at horn

Noun (3)

Middle English carrat — more at carat

First Known Use

Noun (2)

1555, in the meaning defined above

Noun (3)

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for carat

• buret
• ferret
• garret
• karat
• merit
• parrot
• demerit
• inherit
• preterit
• disinherit

Kids Definition

carat

1 of 2

variant of karat

carat

2 of 2 noun

car·​at ˈkar-ət 

: a unit of weight for precious gems (as diamonds) equal to 200 milligrams