platinum

1 of 2

noun

plat·i·num ˈpla-tə-nəm

ˈplat-nəm

often attributive

: 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

: a moderate gray

platinum

2 of 2

adjective

: qualifying for a platinum record

Phrases

go platinum

: to have enough sales to qualify for a platinum record

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Hers are made just for her in platinum with 4.5 carats worth of diamonds! —

Michelle Lee, Peoplemag, 12 May 2023 Dwayne Wade wore Tiffany HardWear link bracelets with a Tiffany & Co. diamond, platinum, and yellow gold crescent moon brooch. —

Beth Bernstein, Forbes, 4 May 2023 Chopra Jonas’s necklace is an homage to Rome; its interlocking diamonds, set in platinum, are attached to the Laguna Blu Diamond in a design that echos the Bay Laurel wreaths worn by emperors of the Eternal City in a way that captivates in the light. —

Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 2 May 2023 The shape of the necklace, with its interlocking baguette and pave diamonds set in platinum, is inspired by the bay laurel wreaths worn by Greco-Roman emperors. —

Stellene Volandes, Town & Country, 2 May 2023 The catalytic converter is a vital part of the emissions system and contains valuable precious metals such as platinum. —

Rene Ray De La Cruz, USA TODAY, 15 Feb. 2023 Not bad for a group whose members took a long hiatus and returned as solo moms Jan. 23, 1994 Salt-N-Pepa was the first female rap group to go platinum. —

Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 10 May 2023 Destiny 2 is currently in the midst of Guardian Games, where players are asked to earn silver, gold and platinum medals to propel their class to victory. —

Paul Tassi, Forbes, 7 May 2023 There is, however, nothing backward-facing about it: After years of white gold and platinum, yellow gold reigns supreme on red carpets and in high jewelry. —

Lizzie Tisch, Town & Country, 25 Apr. 2023

Adjective

Singer/guitarist Dan Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney spent a decade building steam before their sixth album, 2010’s Brothers, brought them multi-platinum success and a long string of radio hits. —

Al Shipley, SPIN, 22 Feb. 2023 His first album with the Foos was the multi-platinum success The Colour and the Shape. —

Mitchell Peters, Billboard, 31 Dec. 2022 The multi-platinum project featured collaborations with Justin Timberlake, Rosalia Christian Nodal, and even Katt Williams. —

Ariana Garcia, Chron, 14 Feb. 2023 Houston, who died in 2012 at age 48, released seven albums and two soundtracks over the course of her career, including 1992’s multi-platinum soundtrack to her starring vehicle The Bodyguard. —

Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 9 Feb. 2023 In the video montage of her favorite moments of the night, Madonna posed with Cardi B and Smith, and shared a NSFW kiss with multi-platinum songwriter and R&B artist Jozzy. —

Tracey Harrington Mccoy, Peoplemag, 8 Feb. 2023 In The Book of Jose, Fat Joe — born Joseph Antonio Cartagena — will chronicle his rise from a kid in the South Bronx to the multi-platinum selling artist and founder of the Terror Squad. —

Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 19 Aug. 2022 Bonding with Stephen Stills of Buffalo Springfield and Graham Nash of the Hollies amid the glitter of L.A.’s late-’60s Laurel Canyon scene, Crosby launched CS&N, whose multi-platinum 1968 debut inaugurated rock’s supergroup era. —

Chris Willman, Variety, 19 Jan. 2023 The best inside account to date of a group whose multi-platinum debut album still resonates loudly. —

Gary Graff, cleveland, 27 Dec. 2022 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'platinum.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler

The first known use of platinum was in 1794

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“Platinum.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/platinum. Accessed 6 Jun. 2023.

Copy Citation

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