platinum

1 of 2

noun

plat·​i·​num ˈpla-tə-nəm 

ˈplat-nəm

often attributive

1

: a precious grayish-white noncorroding ductile malleable heavy metallic element that fuses with difficulty and is used especially in chemical ware and apparatus, as a catalyst, and in dental and jewelry alloys see Chemical Elements Table

2

: a moderate gray

platinum

2 of 2

adjective

: qualifying for a platinum record

see also:

go platinum

Examples of platinum in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Then there are the metals — industrial-grade stuff like iron and nickel, which could feed the off-Earth manufacturing industry, and precious species such as platinum. — Mike Wall, Space.com, 3 July 2026

And, when its time to sell, APMEX also buys gold, silver and platinum from consumers. — Liz Knueven, CNBC, 2 July 2026

Adjective

Madonna is a Grammy-winning music icon known for such multi-platinum-selling albums as Like a Virgin, True Blue and Like a Prayer, in addition to an acting career that includes A League of Their Own and Evita. — Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 22 June 2026

The company managed to weather the Milli Vanilli scandal of 1990, when it was discovered that the Grammy-winning duo did not sing on their multi-platinum album. — Chris Morris, Variety, 22 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

New Latin, from Spanish platina, from diminutive of plata silver — more at plate

First Known Use

Noun

1794, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1971, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing platinum

• cis-platinum
• go platinum
• platinum blonde
• platinum record

Kids Definition

platinum

1 of 2 noun

plat·​i·​num ˈplat-nəm 

-ᵊn-əm

: a heavy precious grayish white metallic element that is used especially as a catalyst and in jewelry see element

platinum

2 of 2 adjective

: qualifying for a platinum record

Medical Definition

platinum

noun

plat·​i·​num ˈplat-nəm, -ᵊn-əm 

: a heavy precious grayish white noncorroding ductile malleable metallic element that fuses with difficulty and is used especially in chemical ware and apparatus, as a catalyst, and in dental and jewelry alloys

—symbol Pt see Chemical Elements Table