carat

1 of 2

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 2

noun (2)

car·​at ˈker-ət 

ˈka-rət

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

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

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Biden's wife, former first lady Jill Biden, received a bottle of Ormonde Jayne perfume and an 18-carat gold necklace with diamonds from the emir of Qatar and his spouse. —Matthew Lee The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 30 Jan. 2026

In addition to her necklace and her nails, Robbie also wore custom 38-carat diamond earrings by Lorraine Schwartz and a Fred Leighton diamond and ruby ring—the two gems of the night, apparently. —Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 29 Jan. 2026

Richard Burton bought this Bulgari emerald pendant (with its 23-carat center stone) and matching necklace as an engagement present for Taylor, and Bulgari bought them both back for $12 million. —Alex Apatoff, PEOPLE, 29 Jan. 2026

Pictured below, the 1,400-carat Star of Adam, so named by its Sri Lankan owner to celebrate the local Islamic belief that Adam, upon leaving Eden, settled in Sri Lanka. —Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 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

First Known Use

Noun (2)

1555, 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